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THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 

From  the  collection  of 

Julius  Doerner,  Chicago 

Purchased,  1918 • 


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HOW  TO  LAY  OUT  A  GARDEN. 


HOW  TO  LAY  OUT  A  GARDEN: 


INTENDED     AS 


JL  General  §mit 


CHOOSING,  FORMING,  OR  IMPROVING  AX  ESTATE, 

(From  a  Quarter  of  an  Acre  to  a  Hundred  Acres  in  extent,) 
WITH  REFERENCE  TO  BOTH  DESIGN  AND  EXECUTION. 


BY    EDWARD    KEMP, 

LANDSCAPE   GARDENER,    BIRKENHEAD    PARK. 


"  A  thing  of  beauty  is  a  joy  for  ever  : 
Its  loveliness  increases;  it  will  never 
Pass  into  nothingness;  but  still  will  keep 
A  bower  quiet  for  us,  and  a  sleep 
Full  of  sweet  dreams,  and  health,  and  quiet  breathing." 


FROM  THE  SECOND  LONDON  EDITION. 

GREATLY    ENLARGED,  AND  ILLUSTRATED  WITH    NTMEROUS    PLANS,  SECTIONS.  AND    SKETCHES 
OF   GARDENS    AND    GAKDEN    OBJMt    1> 


NEW  YORK : 
WILEY     &     II  A  LS  TED. 

185  8. 


E.    CRAIGHEAD, 

Printer,  Stereotyper,  ami  Electro! yper, 

(Carton  JStuTbing, 

81,  83,  and  85  Centre  Street. 


1  10 

«£        REMOTE  ST 


PREFACE  OF  THE  AMERICAN  PUBLISHERS. 


In  presenting  the  public  with  a  first  American  edition  of 
this  excellent  work,  the  Publishers  desire  to  say,  that  while 
the  principles  of  taste  which  it  advocates  and  inculcates  are 
applicable  to  all  regions  and  climes,  the  lists  of  plants  recom- 
mended for  culture  and  adornment  are  those  employed  in  the 
moister  air  of  England,  some  of  which  do  not  succeed  here, 
especially  in  the  Northern  States;  to  adopt  them  implicitly 
without  experience  or  consultation,  would,  possibly,  involve 
the  danger  of  failure  in  many  instances,  and  they  wish,  by 
this  introduction,  to  prepare  the  reader  on  the  subject.  In 
other  respects,  future  editions  may  point  out  those  particulars 
in  which  climatic  influences  have  led  to  alterations  of  plans  in 
and  around  dwellings;  but  they  have  the  most  undoubted 
recommendations  of  men  of  taste  uniting  in  commending  Mr. 
Kemp's  production  as  one  well  calculated  to  diffuse  a  taste  for 
the  fine  art  which  it  so  well  illustrates,  and  have  also  been 
advised  to  adopt  the  present  course  of  giving  a  first  edition 
without  alteration. 

With  these  hints,  anticipatory  of  what  the  reader  may 
avoid,  they  have  great  confidence  in  the  opinions  that  have 
been  expressed  of  the  value  of  the  book,  and  they  consign  it 
to  the  public  under  a  full  impression  that  it  will  meet  the 
wants  of  a  large  body  of  men  engaged  in  the  laudable  pursuit 
of  ornamenting  their  homes. 


Wiley  &  Halsted. 


•1 947 


PEEFACE  TO  THE  FIBST  EDITION. 


It  is  a  salutary  axiom,  especially  in  this  book-making  age, 
that  no  volume  should  be  sent  before  the  public  without  some- 
thing beyond  a  private  reason  for  its  appearance.  It  requires 
to  be  shown  that  other  people  have  an  interest  to  be  served 
by  it,  and  that  the  author's  own  pleasure  or  advantage  is  not 
alone  consulted. 

But  even  this  plea,  however  well  made  out,  will  not  be  a 
sufficient  or  satisfactory  excuse  for  publication,  unless  the  work 
be  very  erudite  or  far  in  advance  of  the  times,  and  calculated 
to  benefit  future  generations.  For  an  ordinary  volume,  on  a 
common  subject,  the  additional  justification  of  being  adapted 
and  required  for  the  use  of  large  numbers  of  the  people  is 
demanded. 

How  far,  then,  these  requirements  can  be  substantiated  in 
reference  to  the  present  unassuming  little  essay,  the  reader 
will  easily  be  able  to  judge,  when  its  origin  and  purport  are 
explained. 

Having  spent  a  good  deal  of  time  in  passing  through  the 
suburbs  of  large  towns,  (particularly  the  metropolis,)  the  author, 
in  common  with  many  others  whom  he  has  had  the  opportunity 
of  conversing  with,  has  been  very  much  impressed  with  the 
incongruity  and  dulness  observable  in  the  majority  of  small 


V1U  PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION. 

gardens,  and  been  led  strongly  to  wish  that  the  general  appear- 
ance of  such  districts  were  more  gratifying  to  the  passers-by, 
and  the  arrangement  of  individual  gardens  more  productive  of 
pleasure  to  the  several  occupants.  There  is  such  a  humanising 
and  elevating  influence  about  everything  that  is  really  beautiful, 
whether  in  Art  or  Nature,  that  it  is  almost  impossible  for  the 
observant  wayfarer  to  stumble  upon  such  objects  without  being 
cheered  and  benefited ;  while  their  effect  on  those  who  have 
them  daily  beneath  their  eye  is  of  a  still  deeper  kind. 

From  the  author's  every-day  intercourse  with  gentlemen  who 
are  either  laying  out  new  grounds,  or  are  seeking  to  amend 
errors  in  design  formerly  committed,  he  is  also  enabled  to 
perceive  that  sound  and  useful  information  is  greatly  wanted 
on  the  subject  of  landscape-gardening,  and  that  to  this  defect 
are  mainly  attributable  the  deformities  so  lamentably  frequent. 
He  feels  certain,  moreover,  that  other  landscape-gardeners  will 
bear  him  out  in  the  assertion,  that  their  services  are  more 
employed  to  remedy  irregularities  which  have  been  fallen  into 
for  want  of  due  consideration  and  enlightenment,  than  to 
furnish  entirely  new  designs.  And  the  difficulty  and  expense 
of  rectifying  such  errors  can  scarcely  be  over-estimated.  It  is 
wisely  ordained  that  while  a  truly  beautiful  object  will  yield 
permanent  and  increasing  delight,  everything  of  a  contrary 
nature  is  nearly  sure,  at  some  period  or  other,  to  pall  and 
disgust  the  mind. 

As  far  as  the  writer's  own  observation  has  extended, — and  he 
has  reason  to  believe  that  is  a  fair  criterion  of  the  real  facts  of 
the  case, — there  is  no  want  of  appreciation,  among  the  classes 
for  whom  this  work  is  intended,  of  what  is  tasteful  and  elegant 
in  gardening.     Most  persons  are  able  to  admire  a  chaste  and 


PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION.  IX 

beautiful  garden  when  they  see  it.  What  is  rather  required  is 
something  or  some  one  to  develop  and  guide  their  tastes,  and 
direct  them  to  fitting  objects. 

On  all  these  accounts,  then,  and  as  a  humble  but  earnest 
effort  to  supply  these  demands,  the  book  now  submitted  has 
been  written.  It  is  clearly  required  by  the  multitude,  for  how 
few  there  are  among  the  middle  classes  who  do  not  possess  a 
small  garden.  And  the  very  extreme  of  smallness  will  not 
exclude  a  place  from  the  beneficent  influence  of  art ;  -which  is, 
perhaps,  all  the  more  necessary  and  powerful  in  proportion  as 
the  limits  become  more  contracted.  Still,  a  garden  varying  in 
extent  from  a  quarter  of  an  acre  to  four  or  five  acres,  and 
either  wholly  without  an  accompanying  field,  or  having  one 
that  comprises  from  one  to  twenty-five  acres,  is  what  has  been 
chiefly  kept  in  view. 

Nor  will  places  of  greater  size  and  more  pretension  than  have 
been  actually  contemplated  in  the  outline  of  the  work,  be  alto- 
gether beyond  its  range.  Unambitious  as  it  is  in  its  title  and 
leading  object,  it  may  not  be  without  interest  or  use  to  the 
proprietor  of  a  large  domain.  In  its  radical  principles,  Art  is 
essentially  the  same,  whether  it  apply  to  a  great  or  a  little 
object;  and,  relieved  of  whatever  is  peculiar  in  its  reference  to 
small  places,  (this  being  distinctly  pointed  out,  where  it  is 
requisite  to  do  so,)  the  points  of  which  the  book  prominently 
treats  are  such  as  embrace  both  extensive  and  limited  estates 
indiscriminately.  The  author's  hope  is,  consequently,  while 
writing  for  a  large  and  particular  section  of  the  community,  not 
entirely  to  shut  out  a  smaller  but  higher  or  more  wealthy  class. 

The  work  of  the  late  indefatigable  Mr.  Loudon,  on  Suburban 
Gardening,  being  somewhat  of  the  nature  of  the  present  more 


X  PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION. 

restricted  production,  may  be  mentioned  with  the  greatest 
respect,  as  a  voluminous  and  ample  treatise  on  everything 
relating  to  the  subject.  The  book  now  submitted  covers  but 
a  fragment  of  the  same  field,  without,  it  is  believed,  at  all 
trenching  on  the  province  of  its  predecessor ;  it  having  been 
the  aim  to  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  travelling  over  beaten  and 
frequented  ground.  The  price  and  portableness  of  this  volume 
will  further  place  it  at  an  immense  distance  from  whatever  has 
preceded  it. 

Such  being,  in  brief,  the  nature,  object,  and  occasion  of  the 
essay  which  follows,  a  few  words  only  remain  to  be  said  on  its 
materials  and  execution.  There  is  nothing  of  egotism  (certainly 
nothing  intentional)  in  the  remark  that  these  pages  have  sprung 
out  of  the  author's  own  reflection  and  observation,  and  have 
often  been  jotted  down  of  an  evening,  or  during  a  journey,  as 
the  result  of  daily  experience.  It  is  very  likely  that  a  more 
finished,  and  comprehensive,  and  readable  book  might  have 
been  produced  by  the  use  of  frequent  quotation  and  copious 
illustration  from  other  and  less  easily  attainable  works.  This, 
however,  was  no  part  of  the  original  plan  ;  though  it  should  be 
added,  that  since  its  completion,  the  best  books  on  the  art 
have  been  glanced  over,  and  a  few  valuable  hints,  which  have 
been  mostly  acknowledged,  gleaned  from  Sir  Uvedale  Price, 
Mr.  Repton,  and  Mr.  Loudon.  The  work  of  Sir  U.  Price  on 
"  the  picturesque,"  is  probably  the  most  valuable  thing  of  the 
kind  in  our  language.  To  have  collected  more  from  these,  or 
Mr.  Gilpin,  or  any  other  authority,  would  have  entirely  altered 
the  limits  and  intention  of  the  essay. 

At  the  outset  of  liis  task,  it  was  the  author's  purpose  to  have 
illustrated  the  volume  with  a  number  of  woodcuts,  showing  how 


PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION.  XI 

the  various  suggestions  might  be  actually  carried  out,  and 
supplying  designs  for  a  few  gardens  of  different  sizes  in  the  two 
principal  styles.  Well-selected  lists  of  the  several  tribes  of 
plants  suitable  for  gardens  of  limited  dimensions  were  likewise 
to  have  been  inserted.  But  it  was  soon  found  that  the  first  of 
these  would  have  materially  increased  the  price,  without  adding 
greatly  to  the  efficiency  of  the  book ;  while  the  catalogues  in 
question  would  also  have  seriously  enlarged  its  bulk.  Mere 
lists  of  plants,  too,  are  of  such  common  occurrence  in  other 
publications,  that  they  do  not  seem  to  be  wanted  ;  and  general 
designs  for  places,  or  sketches  of  particular  objects,  are  seldom 
capable  of  being  applied,  without  much  modification,  to  indi- 
vidual gardens. 

With  regard  to  the  style  and  manner  of  the  work,  the  author 
confesses  some  little  fear  lest  it  should  be  deemed  too  elaborate 
or  dogmatical.  The  first  of  these  faults,  if  it  have  any  palpable 
existence,  has  originated  in  the  wish  to  render  the  matter  as 
expressive,  and  as  dense,  and  as  serviceable  as  possible.  It  is 
mainly  due  to  the  aim  at  obtaining  brevity  and  force,  without 
omitting  anything.  And  on  so  comprehensive  a  theme,  it  is 
hardly  surprising  that  the  matter  should  have  accumulated  to 
an  extent  by  no  means  originally  contemplated  ;  so  that  the 
object  indicated  by  the  title  may  even  seem  to  be  unduly 
departed  from.  This  will,  however,  be  more  than  justified  by 
the  fact  that  there  are  yet  a  great  many  things,  not  without 
interest  or  importance,  unavoidably  omitted. 

For  the  second  defect,  which  appears  more  manifest  and 
serious,  a  similar  excuse  may  in  part  be  alleged,  with  the 
additional  plea  that  practical  information  can  hardly  be  made 
altogether  suggestive,  and  must,  to  some  extent,  become  dog- 


Xll  PREFACE   TO   THE   FIRST   EDITION. 

matical,  unless  it  be  conveyed  in  a  very  circuitous  form.  At 
any  rate,  it  is  hoped  that  this  will  be  considered  simply  as  a 
fault  of  manner,  and  not  as  indicating  a  positive  or  presumptuous 
disposition,  which  is  utterly  foreign  to  the  author's  purpose. 

"With  these  frank  admissions,  he  now  submits  his  little 
volume  to  the  test  of  public  opinion,  assured  that,  whatever 
may  be  its  fate,  it  will  be  judged  by  the  substance  of  what  it 
contains,  and  not  by  the  mere  accidents  of  manner  and  com- 
position. 

BiBKENiiF.Ar  Park. 


PREFACE  TO  THE  SECOND  EDITION". 


Kindness  and  confidence  in  the  public  naturally  produce 
increased  efforts  in  a  writer  to  promote  their  gratification. 
And  the  favour  which  has  so  liberally  been  accorded  to  this 
unpretending  little  publication  has  induced  the  author  to  give 
the  more  attention  to  inquiries  which  have  been  made,  from 
time  to  time,  for  such  illustrations  as  would  better  enable 
amateurs  to  profit  by  the  various  suggestions  offered.  Indeed, 
these  demands  have  become  so  numerous  and  so  pressing  as  to 
render  compliance  with  them  scarcely  a  matter  of  choice,  but 
of  necessity. 

It  is  this  circumstance  alone  which  has  overruled  the  author's 
former  determination,  and  caused  him  reluctantly  to  adopt  a 
more  expensive  style  of  book;  while  the  descriptions  requisite 
for  the  proper  understanding  of  the  engravings  now  inserted, 
and  the  extended  application  which  has  thus  been  given  to  the 
work,  have  involved  the  addition  of  fully  half  as  much  more 
new  matter.  For  this  amplification,  therefore,  and  the  great 
increase  of  price  which  it  has  entailed,  the  aj^ology  must  be 
found  in  a  frequent  and  reiterated  expression  of  the  public 
wants,  which  has  reached  the  author  from  a  variety  of  quarters. 

The  point  being  established,  then,  that  illustrations  would  be 
acceptable,  and  it  being  also  of  consequence  that  they  should  be 


xiv  PREFACE   TO   THE   SECOND  EDITION". 

rendered  as  complete  as  possible,  it  was  decided  that,  in  order 
to  avoid  following  in  the  track,  or  trespassing  on  the  domains  ot 
other  writers,  all  the  examples  given  should  be  drawn  from  the 
author's  own  practice.  And  it  is  hoped  that,  without  savouring 
of  self-confidence,  this  course  will  be  the  more  useful,  because 
the  plans  will  exhibit,  in  nearly  every  instance,  some  adaptation 
to  the  peculiar  outlines  or  characters  of  places ;  incidentally 
thus  showing  how  little  irregularities  and  difficulties  may  be 
dealt  with,  and  in  this  way  giving  a  greater  reality  and  point 
to  the  hints  that  may  be  embodied. 

Among  the  multitude  of  designs  which  every  established 
practitioner  must  have  concocted,  it  is  of  course  hard  to  select 
such  as  will  be  most  generally  available  for  imparting  informa- 
tion. The  expense  of  engraving  them,  too,  is  such  as  to  make 
a  somewhat  limited  selection  essential.  Hence,  I  have  had  to 
omit  the  plans  of  many  interesting  places  which  I  had  wished 
to  present,  and  also  to  reject  other  sketches  that  might  have 
been  serviceable.  In  fact,  it  would  have  been  easy  to  multiply 
the  engravings  to  almost  any  extent,  but  for  the  danger  of 
making  the  book  too  costly  and  cumbersome. 

To  give  a  wider  value  to  the  illustrations,  sections  of  ground, 
and  representations  of  objects  or  processes  of  a  practical  kind 
have,  in  some  cases,  been  introduced.  And  in  other  parts, 
where  words  seemed  but  feeble  instruments  in  conveying  ideas, 
pictorial  sketches  have  been  employed.  In  preparing  the  latter 
class  of  designs,  I  have  been  indebted  to  the  artistic  pencil  of 
my  friend  and  former  pupil,  Mr.  J.  W.  Chapman,  of  Dulwich, 
near  London,  whose  capacity  in  this  and  other  branches  of  our 
art,  I  have  much  pleasure  in  indorsing. 

Not  to  make  the  book  at  all  unwieldy,  the  size  of  its  pages 


PREFACE   TO   THE   SECOND   EDITION.  XV 

has  been  kept  as  small  as  possible,  and  this  has  caused  some  of 
the  plans  to  be  put  on  such  a  reduced  scale,  that  the  various 
clumps  and  plantations  are  often  shown  in  a  most  attenuated 
form,  and  with  a  very  awkward  outline.  For  the  same  reason, 
the  flower-beds  and  specimen  plants  in  such  plans  are  but 
imperfectly  represented.  Happily,  however,  these  instances  are 
mostly  of  a  class  in  which  the  larger  features  of  a  place  are 
intended  to  be  exemplified,  and  the  defective  exhibition  of  the 
minor  details  is  not  of  practical  moment. 

Where  the  scale  to  which  any  of  the  illustrations  have  been 
drawn  is  not  attached  to  them,  and  would  be  of  the  least 
importance,  it  is,  with  the  few  exceptions  pointed  out  in  the  text, 
and  the  instances  now  to  be  adduced,  uniformly  thirty  feet  to 
an  inch.  The  departures  from  this  rule  are  in  the  case  of  the 
architectural  basins  and  beds,  (figs.  76  to  8  V,)  which  are  all  on  a 
scale  of  ten  feet  to  the  inch,  and  in  every  place  (that  is  not 
otherwise  noticed)  where  vertical  heights  are  given ;  these 
being  to  a  scale  of  double  the  size,  or  fifteen  feet  to  an  inch, 
that  they  may  be  rendered  more  distinct. 

If,  in  the  hurry  of  selection,  or  a  too  confident  reliance  on  the 
propriety  of  his  intentions,  the  author  has  in  any  instance 
ventured  to  introduce  the  plans  of  places  without  having 
solicited  the  special  authority  of  their  proprietors,  he  trusts 
that  the  interest  which  may  attach  to  such  plans,  and  the 
information  they  may  yield  to  the  public,  will  be  accepted  as  a 
sufficient  justification  and  excuse. 

In  the  cursory  remarks  which  have  been  made  on  architec- 
tural gardening,  and  in  the  discussion  of  other  matters  relating 
to  the  arrangement  and  accompaniments  of  houses,  it  was 
hardly  possible  to  pass  over  the  subject  of  architecture  without 


XVI  PREFACE   TO   THE   SECOND   EDITION. 

frequent  allusion  and  comment.  But,  as  no  claim  is  asserted 
to  anything  like  a  technical  knowledge  of  this  art,  and  as  the 
references  which  have  been  made  to  it  all  bear  more  or  less 
directly  on  the  treatment  of  a  landscape,  the  charge  of  pre- 
sumption cannot  fairly  lie  against  the  author.  It  is  much  to 
be  regretted  that  architects  and  landscape-gardeners  do  not 
more  usually  work  together,  in  complete  unison,  from  the  very 
commencement  of  any  undertaking  in  which  they  are  jointly 
consulted ;  and  he  who  would  produce  a  work  in  which  the 
relation  of  the  two  arts  to  each  other,  and  the  elements  of 
garden  architecture  and  of  architectural  gardening,  should  be 
skilfully  handled,  and  tastefully  illustrated,  would  deserve  the 
thanks  of  the  entire  art-loving  community. 

Birkenhead  Park, 

3  Is*  March,  1858. 


CONTENTS. 


PART  I. 

PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS   AS  TO    THE    CHOICE   OF 

A   PLACE. 

PAGE 

1.  Roads  and  Convenience  of  Access 2 

2.  Nature  of  the  surrounding  Property  and  Neighbourhood,  present 

and  prospective 4 

3.  Former  Uses  of  the  place      ........  6 

4.  Relative  Elevation  of  the  District 8 

5.  Character  of  the  Soil 9 

6.  Form  or  Outline  of  the  Land 10 

7.  Aspect  and  Climate 12 

8.  Existing  Shelter  and  Furniture 13 

9.  Views  to  be  obtained  from  it 14 

10.  Site  and  Aspect  for  a  House  .         .         .         .         :         .         .         .17 

11.  Back  and  Front  Approaches  to  it 21 


PART  II. 

WHAT   TO   AVOID. 

(importance  of  negative  rules.) 

1.  Attempting  too  much :  in  frittering  away  the  Ground  as  to  general 
Arrangement:  in  superfluous  Planting;  in  numerous  flower 
Beds ;  in  unnecessary  Divisions ;  in  useless  Walks ;  in  excess  of 
Ornament ;  in  artificial  Mounds  or  Undulations  .         .         .28 

2    Rockeries  and  Rustic  Objects  near  the  House         .        .        .        .32 


XV111 


CONTENTS. 


3.  Much  planting  immediately  around  a  House  . 

4.  Belts,  Clumps,  and  narrow  strips  of  Plantation 

5.  Confining  a  Place  too  much  . 

6.  Rendering  it  too  exposed 

7.  Cutting  down  many  large  Trees 

8.  Too  great  a  Mixture  of  Styles 

9.  Unsuitable  Decorations 

10.  Tricks  for  Surprising  People  . 

11.  All  kinds  of  Eccentricity :  every  sort  of  Sham 

12.  In  general,  extreme  Formality  or  Regularity  of  Plan 

13.  Large  and  complex  Geometrical  Figures 

14.  Undue  Plainness 

15.  Carriage  Drives  that  are  wanting  in  Length 

16.  Kitchen  Gardens  in  very  small  Places    . 


PAGE 

33 

ibid. 
37 

ibid. 
38 
39 

ibid. 

ibid. 
40 
4\ 

ibid. 
42 
43 
41 


PART  III. 

WHAT   TO   ATTAIN. 

(uses  and  disadvantages  of  positive  rules.) 

CHAPTER  I.— GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

1.  Simplicity 

2.  Intricacy 

3.  Convenience 

4.  Compactness 

5.  Snugness  and  Seclusion 

6.  Unity  and  Congruity 

7.  Connexion     . 

8.  Symmetry 

9.  Gradation  of  Parts 

10.  Apparent  Extent:    by  Breadth  of  Lawn;  by  Indefiniteness ;    by 

sunk  Walls  and  Wire  Fences ;  by  turfing  around  Plants ;  by 
concealing  Walks ;  by  hiding  Boundary  Lines ;  by  partial  and 
broken  views  of  exterior  Landscape ;  by  excluding  disagreeable 
and  prominent  Buildings,  &c. ;  by  narrow  Yista  Openings, 
to  show  pleasing  Objects;  by  a  judicious  Treatment  of  the 
Foreground,  in  respect  to  Views  over  both  Land  and  Water. 

11.  Richness  and  Polish 


47 

ibid. 

48 

49 

ibid. 

50 

52 

ibid. 

53 


ibid. 
68 


CONTEXTS.  xix 

PAG  P. 

12.  Concealment  of  Offices  and  Outbuildings 68 

13.  Variety :  by  means  of  Serpentine  Walks  of  different  Curves,  and  the 

Changes  of  Line  hidden  from  each  other ;  by  single  Plants  and 
Groups,  and  Play  of  Outline  in  them ;  by  Glades,  Vistas,  and 
Recesses ;  by  a  due  Admixture  of  the  Sorts  of  Plants ;  by  Atten- 
tion to  the  Heights  of  Plants,  and  the  Colours  of  their  Leaves 
and  Flowers ;  by  introducing  Stone  Ornaments  of  a  Light 
Colour;  by  Pieces  of  Water;  by  Climbers  trained  to  Poles, 
Standard,  and  Weeping  Plants ;  by  Undulations  in  the  Surface 
of  the  Ground;  by  planting  elevated  Spots,  and  preserving 
Hollows  in  Grass;  by  the  Elements  of  Picturesqueness      .         .       72 

14.  Contrast:  of  Form;  of  Colour;  Plants  best  adapted  to  produce  it  .       89 

15.  Originality  and  Freshness :  Modes  of  attaining  them       ...       92 

16.  Expression  and  Tone;  Gaiety;  Quietness;  Art;  Methods  of  cor- 

recting Heaviness  and  Poverty  ......       94 

17.  Style  and  Manner:  the  formal  or  geometrical  Style,  with  its  Cha- 

racteristics and  Accompaniments ;  terrace  walks ;  terminations  to 
straight  walks ;  forms  of  flower-beds ;  rows  of  do. ;  levels  of 
ground;  architectural  basins  for  water;  architectural  flower- 
beds ;  the  mixed  or  gardenesque  Style ;  the  picturesque ;  fitness 
of  each  for  particular  Places 97 

18.  Adaptation:  to  the  Fixtures  of  a  place;  to  Climate;  to  Locality; 

to  Family  Wants  and  Tastes;  to  existing  Peculiarities;  to  great 
natural  Features 127 

19.  Fitness 129 

20.  Appropriation:  making  several  other  Properties  to  appear  to  belong 

to  a  Place  ...» ibid. 

21.  Imitation  of  Nature 130 

22.  Beauty:   of  Lines;  of  Forms;    of  Colour;   of  Embellishment;   of 

Association ,     131 

23.  Combination  of  different  Principles  to  form  a  whole :  Simplicity  with 

Richness ;  Unity  with  Variety ;  Connexion  with  Contrast ;  Utility 
with  Ornamentation;  Breadth  with  Intricacy;  Seclusion  with 
Openness  of  View :  Originality  with  Adhesion  to  Law  and  Obe- 
dience to  Nature ;  pervading  Harmony       .        .         .        .  135 


CHAPTER   II. GENERAL    OBJECTS. 

1.  Economy;  of  Plan;  of  Execution;  of  Keeping       ....     139 

2.  Shelter:  by  Walls;  by  Plantations ;  from  Sea-breezes   .         .         .     141 

3.  Approaches  to  a  House :  to  be  concealed  from  the  Windows  and 


XX  CONTENTS. 

l'AGE 

the  Pleasure-Garden ;  to  present  a  good  View  of  the  House ;  not 
to  pass  the  House  and  return  to  it ;  to  be  direct ;  to  start  from  a 
bend  of  the  outside  road,  or  at  right  angles  with  it ;  to  have  a 
gradual  Ascent ;  to  be  in  easy  Curves ;  where  Avenues  will  be 
suitable ;  Entrance-door  of  House  to  be  covered  from  outside 
Road ;  large  Sweeps  of  Gravel  to  be  avoided ;  form  of  Carriage- 
Sweeps;  Entrance-Courts;  Access  to  Servants'  Apartments  to 
be  kept  separate        .........     144 

4.  Treatment  of  Walks :  not  to  follow  the  Boundary  Fence ;  to  embrace 

particular  Views ;  to  take  a  variety  of  Levels ;  to  be  hidden  from 
each  other ;  to  have  a  definite  Object ;  not  to  turn  aside  from 
their  Course  without  a  sufficient  Reason ;  to  separate  from  each 
other  with  an  outward  Curve ;  not  to  be  intruded  on  by  Shrubs ; 
Ease  and  Freedom  (not  Regularity)  in  Curves  desirable ;  to  have 
flat  Edgings .         .         .     152 

5.  Fences:    Sunk  Walls;    Walls   or  close   Palings;    Hedges;    Iron- 

hurdles  ;  Wire  Fences ;  Rustic  Wooden  Fences ;  Rabbit  Fences ; 
protection  for  Single  Trees ;  Colour  of  Fences    ....     156 

6.  Outlines  of  Beds  and  Masses :  to  be  varied  in  the  design,  and  still 

more  so  by  Planting:  Masses  rather  than  Lines  to  be  sought;  to 
be  treated  separately,  and  in  relation  to  others           .         .         .164 
(T.  Sky  outline  of  Plantations :  to  be  very  irregularly  yet  softly  broken ; 
usefulness  of  Spiry  Plants ;  Masses  of  Plantation  straggling  over 
the  Summits  and  Slopes  of  Hills 166 

8.  Flowers  chiefly  to  be  in  detached  beds  and  masses         .         .         .170 

9.  Flower-borders;   to  be  kept  towards  the  outside  of  the  Pleasure- 

Garden,  and  by  the  margins  of  the  walks  in  more  private  parts      171 

10.  Specimen  plants :  to  be  freely  cultivated  in  small  places ;  error  of 

treating  all  plants  as  specimens,  especiall}*  in  boundary  Plantations     172 

11.  Undergrowth;    places  in  which  it  is  necessary;   plants  fitted  for 

creating  it;  Thickets 113 

12.  Evergreens  chiefly  to  be  preferred  in  small  places:  some  of  the  most 

ornamental  kinds ;  best  and  most  useful  sorts  of  low  deciduous 
trees 174 

13.  Soil  in  beds  and  masses  to  be  raised  above  the  level  of  the  grass, 

and  ultimately  turfed  over 176 

14.  Architectural  gardening :  its  intimate  connexion  with  garden  archi- 

tecture ;  province  of  the  latter ;  its  peculiarities ;  proper  sphere 
of  architectural  gardening ;  incongruities  and  defects ;  its  dis- 
tinctive features ;  desirable  accessories ;  practical  application  of 
its  principles ;  form  of  terrace  walls ;  mode  of  making  changes 
of  level ;  examples 17*7 


CONTEXTS.  xxi 


CHAPTER  III. PARTICULAR  OBJECTS. 

PAGR 

1.  Influence  of  little  things  on  Design  and  Execution,  to  maintain  an 

expression  of  taste 210 

2.  Mounds  and  Banks :   their  Uses  and  Treatment;  Naturalness  to  be 

aimed  at ;  Variety  in  Shape  ;  Gentle  Undulation  of  Surface ;  plan 
and  sections ;  Blending  with  the  general  level  at  their  base ; 
Proper  way  of  Planting  and  Turfing  along  the  front  of  them       .     211 

3.  Trees  suited  to  particular  styles  of  buildings  and  places :  Round- 

headed  trees,  and  such  as  have  large  and  clustering  leaves, 
adapted  to  Gothic  architecture ;  Flat-headed  or  upright  Plants, 
with  small  and  slender  leaves,  appropriate  to  Grecian  architec- 
ture ;  illustrations ;  Adaptation  of  Trees  to  the  outline  of  build- 
ings; Trees  for  framing  and  supporting  buildings,  as  pictures; 
want  of  trees  and  shrubs  about  entrance  front  of  Blenheim 
Palace,  and  about  the  large  bridge  in  Blenheim  Park ;  similar 
want  of  trees  to  support  "Windsor  Castle 216 

4.  Masses  of  particular  plants  for  effect  as  to  form  and  colour:  Varie- 

ties fitted  for  carrying  out  this  system         .....     222 

5.  Shadows  from  Trees:  Arrangement  with  respect  to  them ;  Lights 

and  Shadows  a  great  beauty  in  a  landscape ;  Shadows  best  on 

the  western  side  of  a  place 224 

C.  Covered  ways,  Wire  Temples,  Trellises,  Verandahs,  and  other  sup- 
ports for  Climbing  plants 225 

7.  Flower-beds  to  be  filled  with  low  potted  Evergreens  in  the  winter : 

Sorts  of  Evergreens  fitted  for  the  purpose  ....     227 

8.  Substitutes  for  Grass  beneath  Trees :  Ivy,  Periwinkles,  &c.     .         .     228 

9.  Hedgerows :  Modes  of  treating  and  diversifying  them  bo  i  B  to  soften 

boundary  lines  ;  illustration  of  this     ......  ibid. 

10.  Temporary  shelter:  For  newly  planted  things,  from  Sun  or  Wind; 

by  common  and  rapid  growing  plants  as  "Nurses;"  by  Hurdles 
wattled  with  reeds,  laths,  furze,  &c 230 

11.  Edgings  for  Walks  and  Flower-beds;  Grass,  Box;  Stones,  Bricks, 

or  Tiles ;  Thrift,  Heath,  &a ;  Edgings  for  Beds  of  Dwarf  Shrubs ; 
Edging  of  Trees  kept  dwarf,  Shrubs,  or  peculiar  Flowers  for 
Flower-beds;  Wire  or  Wooden  Edgings  for  do.  .        .         .     231 


XX11  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

PAGE 

1.  Park,  Field,  or  Paddock:  always  to  be  treated  as  a  park;  to  be 

planted  with  single  Trees  and  Groups  ;  Plants  suited  for  speci- 
mens ;  great  value  of  Thorns,  Hollies,  and  other  Bushes ;  forma- 
tion of  Glades  and  Groups ;  shaping  the  Ground ;  Shrubbery 
Walks,  and  modes  of  rendering  them  interesting;  Sheep,  Cows, 
and  Deer  to  enliven  the  Park ;  Rookeries ;  treatment  of  public 
Footpaths  across  a  place ;  examples  of  Parks  and  Fields    .         .     235 

2.  Flower-garden :  to  be  on  the  warmest  and  best  side  of  the  house,  or 

in  a  sheltered  and  sunny  corner  of  the  Pleasure  Grounds ;  Beds 
to  be  simple,  symmetrical,  and  fit  well  into  each  other ;  Divisions 
may  be  of  Grass,  or  Gravel  with  Box  or  Stone  edgings ;  Styles  in 
which  either  of  these  is  preferable ;  to  be  varied  and  adorned  by 
specimen  plants;  to  have  a  regular  outline;  to  have  the  beds 
fitted  for  displaying  flowers ;  examples  of  flower-gardens,  in  dif- 
ferent styles  Tor  various  positions,  and  with  many  kinds  of 
accompaniments ;  separation  of  flower-beds  into  sections  of  one 
colour 251 

3.  Rock  or  Fern  Garden:  requires  to  be  secluded ;  partially  shaded ; 

of  natural  material  and  construction ;  Proper  Plants  as  accom- 
paniments ;  to  have  an  object  or  meaning,  if  possible ;  roots  and 
stumps  of  trees  as  substitutes  for  rocks 277 

4.  Rose  Garden:  to  be  detached,  sheltered,  sunny;  of  some  regular 

shape  ;  the  Beds  to  be  easily  accessible ;  Grass  divisions  best ; 
diversified  with  single  Standard  and  Climbing  sorts  ;  Masses  of 
one  kind  and  colour ;  archways  or  temples  for  climbing  sorts  ; 
Rose  house  for  tender  kinds ;  plans  and  descriptions ;  list  of 
Hollies  to  accompany  a  Rosery ;  arrangements  of  Roses  in  beds 
or  borders  by  the  sides  of  a  straight  walk 281 

5.  Pinetum :  to  be  arranged  in  groups,  with  comparatively  few  speci- 

mens ;  eligible  position  for  it ;  example  of  the  mode  of  grouping 
Pines  and  Firs ;  plants  to  be  all  placed  on  little  hillocks ;  kinds 

best  fitted  for  groups 287 

6..  Winter  Garden :  an  irregular  collection  of  evergreens  ;  an  "Ameri- 
can "  garden ;  a  plot  laid  out  in  formal  beds,  and  filled  with  ever- 
greens of  various  heights,  colours,  &c. ;  plants  adapted  for  beds, 
for  specimens,  and  for  edgings  to  beds ;  growth  of  some  of  the 
larger  evergreens  may  be  restrained  by  planting  them  in  tubs,  or 
by  pruning ;  beds  should  be  separated  by  grass,  or,  if  by  gravel, 
have  stone  edgings 290 


contents.  xxiii 

PAGE 

7.  Bowling  Green :     best   size   and   shape ;   specimen  of  a   circular 

one,  with  a  low  terrace  bank  around  it;  mode  of  making; 
sodding     ...........     202 

8.  Water :  should  be  pure,  clear,  and  at  least  partly  open  to  the  Sun  ; 

simple  forms  best  in  small  places ;  how  to  vary  and.  plant  the 
outline;  plants  adapted  for  the  Margins  or  for  Islands;  flowering 
Shrubs  useful  in  Masses,  for  being  mirrored  in  water ;  Bhaping 
and  diversifying  the  banks ;  aquatic  plants ;  modes  of  supplying 
fresh  water ;  streams ;  making  lakes  by  damming  up  hollows,  in 
the  course  of  streams;  way  to  form  dams ;  overflows;  planting 
embankments;  examples  of  natural  treatment;  specimen  of  a 
more  artificial  style ;  sloping  the  banks,  pitching,  and  sodding; 
grouping  plants  on  the  margins;  water-birds;  bridges;  boat- 
houses       294 

9.  Arbours;  Summer-houses;  Covered  Seats;  Dryness,  Cleanness,  and 

avoidance  of  any  encouragement  to  Insects  to  be  attained  in  their 
materials  and  construction;  Temporary  Bowers;  Lime-tree 
Bowers 309 

10.  Statuary;  Vases;   hints  as  to  the  subjects  and  treatment  of  Sculp- 

tured Figures;  Plaster-figures:   Position  and  Style  best  adapted 

for  them   .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .         .314 

11.  Green-houses  and  Conservatories:    Position;  Aspect;  Character; 

Interior  arrangement  and  fittings;  Stages;  Places  for  Climbers; 
Provision  for  Suspending  plants;  Heating  Apparatus;  Cistern; 
Pits  and  Frames        .         .         .         .         .         .         ,  .     31G 

12.  Kitchen  Garden  :  to  be  behind  the  house,  and  near  the  stables;  to 

have  a  regular  outline;  Walks  straight  and  at  right  angles; 
Walls  and  their  heights;  Borders;  Position  for  Fruit  Trees; 
Espaliers;  Supply  of  Water;  Yard  for  Compost,  Sheds,  and 
Rubbish ;  desirable  Slope ;  Flower-beds  or  Borders  through  the 
centre  in  special  cases ;  examples ;  Fruit-houses  and  Hothouses ; 
Orchards  .         .         • 322 

13.  Aviaries;  Apiaries;  Grottoes 33 1 

14.  Lodges  and  Entrances :  their  position  and  character;  examples  of 

different  kinds  of  entrances .';:;,") 

15.  Sea-side  Gardens:  Grass,  in  a  variety  of  terrace-banks,  to  abound 

in  them ;  specimen  of  desirable  treatment,  and  section       .         .     340 

16.  Town  or  Suburban  Gardens:  to  be  arranged  very  simply  and  with 

great  regularity ;  rows  of  beds  and  plants  effective;  grass  and 
evegreens  most  valuable ;  illustrations 343 

17.  Villages  and  Village  Gardens:  rural  and  simple  character  to  be  pre- 


XXIV  CONTENTS. 

PAGK 

served ;  cottages  should  be  partly  in  clusters  and  groups ;  several 
gardens  may  be  united  into  one,  at  the  front ;  notice  of  Daylesford 

village 347 

18.  Compact  Combination    of    Parts    in    a    Place:    illustrations   and 

descriptions 351 


PART  IV. 

PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 


1.  Drainage:    its  effect  on  the  temperature  of  ground;  to  be  deep; 

Materials  for  Common  and  Main  Drains ;  titles,  pipes,  and  rubble 
stone;  sections  of  Drains;  good  Outfall  necessary;  Trenching  to 
follow  it;  Places  that  do  not  need  drainage       ....     3G9 

2.  Levelling  Hedge-rows:  preserving  Hedge-row  Trees  and  Bushes; 

retaining  sufficient  earth  about  their  roots ;  planting  to  throw 
them  into  groups  in  the  park 373 

3.  Formation  of  Roads  and  Walks:    to  be  dry;  well  rounded  and 

drained  at  the  bottom  ;  with  Gratings  and  Lodges  for  Water  in 
hollows ;  Nature  and  Quality  of  materials  to  be  used ;  quality  of 
different  kinds  of  Gravel,  and  how  to  improve  it ;  Width ;  Edgings 
and  Rampering-Sods ;  Height  relative  to  General  Level ;  Grass ; 
Paths .         .    ibid. 

4.  Ground-work:  Periods  most  suitable  for  it    .....     380 

5.  Preparation  of  Ground  for  Planting  and  Grass:  Trenching  and  Level- 

ling ;  keeping  good  soil  on  the  surface ;  easy  method  of  Raising  or 
Lowering  Ground,  in  trenching  it ;  improvement  of  Soils ;  Plants 
that  require  Special  Soils ibid. 

6.  Dealing  with  the  Picturesque :  creation  of  Roughness  and  Rugged- 

ness ;   disposal  of  Rocks  on  Banks     ......     383 

7.  Planting  for  immediate  effect :  use  of  large  plants  and  trees  .         .     384 

8.  Time  and  Manner  of  Planting:  Autumn  best,  and  dull  weather; 

Plants  to  be  put  in  thickly ;  Not  too  deeply ;  Not  to  be  done  in 
Rows ;  specimen  of  the  Mode  of  arranging  Trees  and  Shrubs  in  a 
small  Plantation        .         .         . 386 

9.  Choice  of  Plants  and  mode  of  obtaining  them :  small,  bushy,  stunted, 

and  well-rooted  plants,  most  likely  to  succeed   ....     390 
10.  Supporting  and   Staking  newly  planted  Trees:     Substitutes   for 

Staking ;  Modes  of  accomplishing  it 392 


CONTENTS.  XXV 

PAGE 

11.  Sodding:  choice  of  Sods:  mode  of  laying  them;  way  in  which  they 

may  be  made  finer ;  edgings  always  to  be  sodded      .         .         .394 

12.  Sowing  down  Grass  Seeds :    desirable  kinds 395 

1 :?.  Preparation  of  Borders  for  Fruit  Trees  in  Kitchen  Garden      .         .     39G 

14.  Plants  suited  for  particular  localities:     Sea-side  plants;   Plants 

adapted  for  rocky  and  exposed  hills ;  Trees  for  the  sides  of  Water- 
courses, or  for  marshy  land ;  Town  plants,  that  will  best  endure 
smoke     ..........  •     397 

15.  Order    in  which   the    different   operations   should  be   performed: 

making  a  plan ;  taking  out  foundations  of  a  house ;  forming  drive  ; 
fencing;  draining  and  trenching;  planting;  sodding;  cutting 
the  verges ;  gravelling  walks 400 


LIST  OF  ENGRAVINGS. 


Plans  of  Places: —  PA(.E 

A  Rectory  in  Worcestershire 193 

P.  S.  Humberston,  Esq.,  Mollington,  Cheshire         .         .         .  205 
R.  and  T.  G.  Frost,  Esqs.,  Queen's  Park,  Chester  .        .        .         .207 

Charles  Longman,  Esq.,  Shendish,  near  LTemel  Ilempstead,  Herts  242 

Edward  Astley,  Esq.,  Roby,  near  Liverpool 246 

"William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar,  near  Keswick      ....  248 

Edward  Walker,  Esq.,  Chester 273 

John  Johnson,  Esq.,.  Runcorn,  Cheshire 345 

T.  S.  Hoare,  Esq.,  Kingston,  Surrey 348 

Joseph  Stubs,  Esq.,  Park  Place,  Frodsham,  Cheshire      .        .         .352 

T.  S.  Bazley,  Esq.,  Agden  Hall,  near  Lymm,  Cheshire    .         .         .  355 

Henry  H.  Toulmin,  Esq.,  Childwickbury,  near  St.  Albans,  Herts   .  357 

Plans  of  Small  Parks  or  Fields: — 

Charles  Longman,  Esq.,  Shendish 242 

Edward  Astley,  Esq.,  Roby 246 

"William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar 248 

Plans  of  Shrubbery  "Walks: — 

Edward  Astley,  Esq.,  Roby 246 

William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar 248 

John  Noble,  Esq.,  Berry  HilL  near  Maidenhead     ....  326 

Samuel  Woodhouse,  Esq.,  Norley  Hall,  near  Northwich,  Cheshire  330 

Plans  of  Terraced  Gardens: — 

John  Naylor,  Esq.,  Leighton  Hall,  near  Welshpool        .  .186 

Harman  Grisewood,  Esq.,  Daylesford  House,  Worcestershire          .  191 

A  Rectory  garden 196 

Henry  McConnel,  Esq.,  Crossbrook,  Derbyshire      ....  201 


XXV111 


LIST   OF   EXGKAYIXGS. 


Plans  of  Flower  Gardens  : — 

Owen  Jones,  Esq.,  Stanacres,  near  Thornton,  Cheshire 

John  Naylor,  Esq.,  Leighton  Hall 

Harman  Grisewood,  Esq.,  Daylesford    . 

Henry  McConnel,  Esq.,  Cressbrook 

George  Whitley,  Esq.,  Bromborough,  Cheshire 

"William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Mossley  Hill,  Aigburth,  near  Liverpool     256, 

Alfred  Higgins,  Esq.,  Woolton,  near  Liverpool 

Octagonal  Flower  garden,  near  Maidenhead  . 

Samuel  Job,  Esq.,  Holmefield,  Aigburth,  near  Liverpool 

Sir  Edward  Smythe,  Bart.,  Acton  Burnell,  near  Shrewsbury  . 

Joshua  Fielden,  Esq.,  Stansfield  Hall,  near  Todmorden  . 

James  Barratt,  Esq.,  Lymm  Hall,  near  Warrington 

William  Longman,  Esq.,  Chorleywood  Place,  near  Bickmansworth, 

Herts 

Thomas  Johnson,  Esq.,  Halton  Grange,  Buncorn,  Cheshire    . 

Sketch  for  Gothic  Flower  garden 

Ditto    for  Tudor         ditto 

Ditto    for  flower  pot  in  form  of  a  shield        ..... 
Ditto     for    ditto,     with  shrubs  introduced  into  some  of  the  beds  . 

Joseph  Stubs,  Esq.,  Frodsham 

T.  S.  Bazley,  Esq.,  Agden  Hall 

Charles  Longman,  Esq.,  Shendish           .                  .... 
William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar 


PAGE 

7<> 
186 
191 
201 
255 
257 
258 
259 
261 
263 
265 
207 

269 

271 
27  5 
275 
276 
216 
352 
355 
360 
364 


Plans  of  Bose  Gardens: — 

John  ISTaylor,  Esq.,  Leighton  Hall 
A  Bosery  at  Dulwich,  near  London 
Harman  Grisewood,  Esq.,  Daylesford 
Samuel  Woodhouse,  Esq.,  Norley  Hall 
T.  S.  Bazley,  Esq.,  Agden  Hall     . 
Charles  Longman,  Esq.,  Shendish 


186 
284 
285 
331 
355 
361 


Plans  of  Lakes  and  Pieces  of  Water: — 

Architectural  basins  of  water 119  to  121 

Sir  Bobert  Gerard,  Bart.,  Garswood,  near  Newton,  Lancashire        .     299 

Owen  Jones,  Esq.,  Stanacres 302 

Sir  Bobert  Gerard,  Bart.,  formal  piece  of  water       ....     30-1 


Plans  of  Kitchen  Gardens: — 

Thomas  Johnson,  Esq.,  Halton  Grange 
Owen  Jones,  Esq.,  Stanacres 


271 

302 


L1..T   OF   ENGRAVINGS. 


XXIX 


John.  Noble,  Esq.,  Berry  Hill 

Samuel  AVoodhouse,  Esq.,  Norley  Hall 

Charles  Longman.  Esq.,  Shendish 

William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar  

I'laxs  of  Fruit-Houses  and  Plant-Houses: — 

Thomas  Johnson,  Esq.,  Halton  Grange 

John  Xoble,  Esq.,  Berry  Hill 

Joseph  Stubs,  Esq.,  Frodsham 

William  Oxley,  Esq.,  Underscar 

Plans : — 

An  imaginary  house,  to    indicate  the  desirable  position   for  the 

windows        ........ 

An  imaginary  place,  showing  general  arrangement 
Mode  of  concealing  offices     ...... 

Curves  in  walks,  and  accompanying  planting 

Masses  of  shrubs  and  specimens  .... 

Groups  of  Shrubs 

Methods  of  arranging  the  planting  on  a  lawn,  so  as  to  secure 

vistas    

Terminations  to  straight  walks 

Elower-bcds  in  rows 

Architectural  flower-beds,  with  raised  stone  border 
Entering  a  place  from  a  high  road         .... 

Carriage-sweeps  ....... 

Divergence  of  branches  from  a  curved  walk 

Front  outline  of  plants  in  a  plantation 

Union  of  two  masses  of  plants  on  opposite  sides  of  walks 

Winter  Garden  at  Leighton  Hall  .... 

Outline  of  a  plantation  on  a  mound        .... 

Relieving  lines  of  hedge  by  scattered  specimens  in  front 
Flower-beds  in  groups,  for  a  lawn         .         . 
Portion  of  a  Pinetum,  to  show  grouping 

Circular  bowling-green 

Rustic  Summer-houses 

Entrances  and  Lodges  ...... 

Sea-side  garden 

Mode  of  mixing  and  arranging  plants  in  a  plantation     . 


PAGE 

326 

330 
360 
364 


271 
326 
352 
364 


19 
23 
70 
74 

77 


73, 

74, 


79,  81 

101  to  106 

107  to  116 

L22,    123 

i  i.->.  i  !•; 

149  to  151 

.     154 

.     164 

167 

186 

213 

229 

255 

.     289 

.     293 

311,  313 

336  to  339 

.     342 

.     390 


166, 


251, 


Sketches: — 

Belts  of  plantation,  and  how  to  improve  them 


35,  36 


XXX 


LIST   OF   ENGRAVINGS. 


Effect  of  nearness  in  increasing  the  use  of  shrubs  or  trees  for  con- 
cealing objects 59 

Irregular  vista  view  of  church,  &c.         ......  60 

Vista  through  trellis  arch 61 

Ditto  through  a  stone  Gothic  arch 62 

Foreground  to  a  flattish  country 63 

Ditto         to  a  more  undulating  tract 6-4 

Ditto         to  a  mountainous  scene 65 

Ditto        to  the  sea  or  a  lake 66 

Modes  of  planting  in  masses,  with  regard  to  their  upper  outlines    76,  77 

Clusters  of  Planting  on  swells  and  slopes      .         .         .         .         86,  87 

Picturesque  grouping  of  rocks,  &c.         .         .         .         .         .         .125 

General  picturesqueness  in  ground  and  scenery 

Wooden  rustic  fences 


Tree-guards,  of  rustic  wood 

Thorns  or  Hollies  around  base  of  trees,  for  protection  from  cattle 

Sky  outline  of  plants  in  plantations 

Plantations  straggling  over  the  summit  and  down  the  face  of  a  hill 

Mode  of  forming  terrace- walls 

Masking  changes  of  level  at  base  of  terrace  walls 
Trees  that  blend  with  Grecian  architecture   . 
Trees  that  blend  with  Gothic  buildings 
Planting  groups  by  the  margins  of  lakes 

Rustic  Bridges 307,  308 

Rustic  Summer-houses 311,  312 

Modes  of  staking  and  supporting  trees 393 


126 
160 
161,  162 
163 
168 
169 
184 
185 
217 
218 
306 


Sections  : — 

Desirable  form  of  land,  as  the  site  for  a  house  and  garden 

How  a  walk  across  a  lawn  may  be  sunk 

General  modes  of  shaping  a  lawn 

Union  of  lines  in  undulations        .... 

Terrace-bank,  descending  from  the  house  platform 

Terraces  ascending  from  the  house  platform 

Treatment  of  sloping  land  along  front  of  house 

Slope  of  lawns  to  sunk  or  raised  paths 

Sunk  fences  of  various  kinds          .... 

Raised  ground  around  specimens  and  in  plantations 

A  Rectory  garden 

Messrs.  Frost's  garden  at  Chester 
Forming  and  undulating  mounds 


.  15 

.  56 

.  85 
87,   88 

.  99 

.  117 

.  118 

.  155 

156  to  158 

.  176 

199,  200 

.  207 

.  214 


LIST  OF   ENGRAVINGS. 


xxxi 


Sunk  foot-path  on  the  estate  of  Charles  Longman,  Esq. 

Banks  of  lakes  and  pitching  . 
Sea-side  garden     .... 
Tile  and  rubble  drains  . 

Bed  of  walk 

Lodge  for  catching  water  in  walks 
"Walks  and  their  verges 
Fruit-tree  border  against  wall 


378, 


PAGK 

244 
305 
343 

371 
374 

375 
379 
397 


MODES  IX  WHICH  TAEIOUS   OBJECTS  ARE   REPRESENTED 
IX   THE   ENGRAYIXGS. 


Denotes  buildings,  walls,  or  any  other  solid  erection, 
whether  of  stone,  brick,  or  wood. 


Grass,  whether  lawn  or  field — terrace  banks  having  a 
little  extra  shading. 

Flower-beds  or  borders. 

Cultivated  ground  in  kitchen  gardens. 

Water  in  basins.     (Pages  119  to  121) 
Lakes  or  other  pieces  of  water. 


Specimen  plants  on  lawns,  in  beds  or  borders,  or  in 
fields. 


.^hte 


i 


Masses  of  shrubs  or  other  plantations. 


Hedges. 

Wire  or  hurdle  fences. 


Walks  or  roads — not  at  all  shaded. 


HOW  TO  LAY  OUT  A  GARDEN. 


P  A  E  T   I. 


PRELIMINARY  CONSIDERATIONS  AS  TO  THE  CHOICE  OF 

A  PLACE. 

From  that  beautiful  variety  of  taste  which  brings  the  com- 
monest persons  into  association  with  the  more  cultivated,  and 
secures  for  objects,  that  many  would  regard  as  inferior,  a  certain 
amount  of  approbation  and  patronage;  scarcely  any  two  indi- 
viduals will  be  disposed  to  select,  where  there  is  a  full  latitude 
of  choice,  and  a  thorough  knowledge  of  every  peculiarity,  pre- 
cisely the  same  spot  for  a  residence.  What  would  perfectly 
satisfy  one  might  be  displeasing  to  another.  The  conditions 
that  some  would  even  detest,  others  might  actually  covet.  And 
this  it  is,  united  to  the  fact  that  few  can  obtain  exactly  all  they 
desire,  and  that,  from  local  or  other  ties,  the  alternative  must 
generally  lie  between  situations  which  comprise  a  greater  or  less 
proportion  of  the  required  capabilities;  that  distributes  the 
po] dilation  of  our  towns  pretty  equally  over  the  suburbs,  and 
brings  districts  into  use  that  would  otherwise  remain  entirely 
waste,  or  be  devoted  only  to  the  farmer  or  the  grazier. 

Railways,  however,  with  their  annual  contracts  for  convey- 
ance and  the  rapidity,  ease,  and  certainty  of  transit,  are  now 
gradually  bringing  other  parts  of  the  country  within  the  range 
of  selection,  and  enabling  the  town  merchant  or  man  of  busi- 
ness to  locate  himself  from  ten  to  twenty,  or  even  thirty  miles 
from  the  town,  and  thus  get  the  benefit  oi'  country  air  and  rural 

1 


2  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

pleasures.  And  from  the  greater  abundance  and  cheapness  of 
land  in  such  districts,  a  wider  field  of  choice  is  afforded,  and 
more  scope  for  the  exercise  of  judgment  and  taste. 

Although,  therefore,  every  person  will  necessarily  have  his 
own  peculiar  inclinations,  and  the  opportunities  of  gratifying  a 
refined  and  enlarged  feeling  may  be  very  limited ;  it  is  right 
that  a  book  like  the  present,  which  professes  merely  to  be  sug- 
gestive, should  point  out  those  characteristics  most  generally 
desirable  in  a  place,  and  which  might  not  be  thought  of,  or 
would  possibly  be  but  lightly  regarded,  if  not  thus  specifically 
presented ;  leaving  every  one  to  the  exercise  of  his  individual 
wishes,  either  with  or  without  such  aids. 

1.  The  question  which  first  arises  in  the  mind  of  an  inquirer 
after  a  site  for  a  residence  is,  how  it  icitt  be  accessible.  There 
may  be  different  opinions  as  to  the  kind  of  road  preferable  for 
getting  at  a  dwelling-place  ;  but  an  actual  necessity  exists  that 
there  should  be  some  convenient  mode  of  access.  Many  would 
desire  to  fix  themselves  near  a  well-frequented  or  turnpike  road ; 
and  some  would  rather  be  situated  on  the  side  of  a  more  retired 
and  private  thoroughfare.  It  will  be  obvious,  however,  that 
the  road  by  which  a  place  is  approached  should  be  a  sound 
one,  likely  to  be  kept  in  good  repair,  and  capable  of  being  used 
at  all  times.  A  bad  road  that  has  to  be  frequently  travelled, 
is  not  merely  an  inconvenience  and  a  nuisance,  but  gives  a 
most  unfavourable  impression  of  a  place  to  visitors;  and  a 
private  road,  that  is  closed  at  night,  may  occasion  a  good  deal 
of  trouble  and  discomfort. 

To  settle  in  a  place  to  which  there  is  no  good  road  already 
formed,  or  for  the  making  of  which  last  no  covenant  can  be 
obtained,  will  seldom  be  otherwise  than  productive  of  misery. 
A  mere  expectation  that  a  road  will  be  made,  should  never  be 
held  sufficient ;  for  a  house  may  stand  in  a  state  of  isolation 
several  years,  cut  off,  as  it  were,  from  all  pro])er  connexion 
with  the  world,  if  the  road  to  it  or  past  it  be  not  already  in 
existence,  or  certain  to  be  cut. 

It  will  be  well  to  calculate,  further,  the  length  of  road  or  drive 


MODE   OF   ACCESS.  3 

which  will  have  to  be  made  and  kept  in  order  by  the  owner  or 
occupant  of  a  place.  Road-niaking  is  an  expensive  process  in 
most  districts ;  and  the  due  preservation  of  roads  is  always 
troublesome.  While,  therefore,  the  having  to  provide  a  con- 
siderable length  of  private  drive,  in  order  to  get  at  a  place, 
will  be  an  advantage,  in  the  way  of  conferring  more  privacy 
and  retirement ;  it  must  be  looked  upon  as  a  source  of  in- 
creased outlay,  and  additional  subsequent  labour. 

Where  there  is  any  possibility  of  obtaining  such  a  piece  of 
land,  it  is  most  important  that  it  should  have  a  public  road 
along  one  of  its  sides  only,  and  that  this  road  should  be  on  the 
north,  north-east,  or  north-west  boundary.  Access  will  thus  be 
given  to  the  house  at  the  point  which  is  of  least  consequence  in 
regard  to  views,  and  the  warmer  and  better  sides  can  be  kept 
open  and  private.  Entrance  from  any  other  point  would  always 
more  or  less  interfere  with  the  lawn,  and  the  more  polished 
parts  of  the  garden  ;  besides  laying  bare  some  of  the  best  win- 
dows of  the  house,  or  involving  the  necessity  of  giving  these 
an  inferior  aspect.  This  is  assuming,  however,  that  the  site  be 
chosen  with  reference  to  a  proper  aspect  and  views  for  the  house. 

Comparative  nearness  to  a  railway  station,  or  to  a  Hue  of 
road  along  which  public  conveyances  frequently  pass,  will, 
even  where  a  vehicle  is  kept,  be  a  decided  acquisition :  for 
there  are  certain  to  be  times  when  either  the  owner  or  his 
friends  will  want  to  make  use  of  these  conveniences.  In  wet 
weather,  especially,  it  will  be  unpleasant  to  have  to  walk  far 
before  reaching  some  kind  of  conveyance. 

Proximity  to  some  seat  of  business,  where  at  least  the  neces- 
saries of  life  can  be  readily  procured,  will  also  be  an  advantage. 
To  have  to  send  a  great  distance  for  articles  of  food  when  there 
may  be  an  unexpected  demand  for  them,  will  generally  be  a 
heavy  tax  upon  patience  and  time.  The  situation  ought,  like- 
wise, to  be  within  reach,  by  an  easy  and  pleasant  walk,  of  some 
suitable  place  of  worship,  one  that  is  well  established  being  more 
congenial  than  an  entirely  new  one,  and  particularly  than  such 
as  are  only  contemplated,  not  built ;  for  there  is  often  much 


4  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

uncertainty  and  delay  about  the  erection  of  a  church  that  has 
merely  been  projected. 

It  should  be  recollected  that  roads  on  which  there  is  much 
traffic,  bring  a  large  amount  of  dust  at  certain  seasons,  while 
they  render  a  house  and  garden  more  exposed  to  observation 
from  the  foot-passengers,  or  the  travellers  on  public  vehicles. 
A  place  on  a  small  and  less  frequented  road,  at  a  little  distance 
from  a  great  highway,  will  therefore  be  more  comfortable  and 
more  secluded  than  one  which  lies  by  the  side  of  a  turnpike 
road.  And  this  view  of  the  case  will  further  serve  to  show  the 
undesirableness  of  having  a  property  entirely  surrounded  by 
roads.  Arable  lands,  fields,  open  country,  or  other  gardens 
and  private  estates,  will  be  the  best  possible  accompaniments 
on  all  the  southerly  sides  of  a  place. 

Anything  in  the  way  of  a  public  path  crossing  a  property, 
and  severing  it  into  two  parts,  or  a  public  road  passing  across 
a  plot  in  the  same  manner,  would  seriously  prejudice  its  value. 
When  such  things  are  carried  through  an  estate  without  being 
fenced  off,  they  lay  bare  certain  portions  of  it  to  the  public  eye, 
and,  what  is  worse,  subject  it  to  continual  trespass.  And  to 
fence  off  a  path  or  road  of  this  description,  would  greatly  mu- 
tilate a  place,  and  give  it  a  small  and  confined  appearance. 
Nor  is  it  at  all  easy  to  get  established  pathways  diverted,  un- 
less a  more  direct  route  caw  be  prepared  for  them.  The  nui- 
sance of  having  a  place  thus  open  to  the  use  of  all,  in  popu- 
lous districts,  can  hardly  be  exaggerated. 

In  this,  as  in  a  variety  of  similar  cases,  however,  circum- 
stances that  would  be  inconvenient  and  objectionable  to  most 
persons,  might  be  altogether  unproductive  of  annoyance  to 
others ;  for  no  rule  of  life  is  more  true,  or  of  more  universal 
application,  than  that  things  are  not  so  much  discomforting 
or  pleasurable  in  themselves,  but  are  just  what  they  are  con- 
sidered to  be.  So  that  what  would  be  intolerable  to  many, 
might  become  perfectly  inoffensive  to  those  who  were  deter- 
mined to  regard  it  favourably. 

2.  Besides  the  advantage  of  having  the  property  on  the  best 


CHARACTER   OF   THE   NEIGHBOURHOOD.  5 

boundaries  of  a  place  congenially  treated,  and  appropriated  to 
agricultural  or  garden  purposes,  or  left  to  the  rudeness  and 
picturesqueness  of  Nature,  it  is  of  consequence  that  the  whole 
of  the  surrounding  property  be  of  a  similar  character,  and  that  it 
be  not  covered  with  cottage  tenements,  or  crowded  with  any 
kind  of  inferior  houses,  or  the  atmosphere  darkened  by  the 
smoke,  and  polluted  by  the  gases  from  large  manufactories. 
To  live  amidst  fields  and  gardens,  and  cultivated  or  unassisted 
Nature,  or  to  have  only  the  vicinity  of  kindred  or  superior 
places,  is  a  luxury  well  worth  the  sacrifice  of  some  trifling  con- 
veniences, and  the  travelling  a  mile  or  two  further  from  a  town. 
There  is  so  much  calculated  to  offend  and  to  annoy  in  a  closely 
peopled  neighbourhood,  especially  if  it  be  crowded  with  small 
cottages,  that  the  majority  of  persons  will  gladly  shun  it. 

Not  only,  however,  will  it  be  well  to  look  closely  into  the 
character  of  the  district  around  a  place  to  be  selected,  and 
ascertain  how  it  is  actually  built  upon  or  appropriated,  and  by 
what  class  of  persons  it  is  populated  ;  but  the  probable  uses  of 
the  neighbourhood  should  likewise  be  considered.  A  particular 
locality  may,  at  the  time  of  choosing  it,  appear  highly  rural, 
and  have  every  desirable  characteristic;  whereas,  in  a  few  years, 
it  may  become  densely  covered  with  small  houses  or  obnoxious 
manufactories,  be  cut  up  into  narrow  roads,  and  otherwise  be 
completely  spoiled  as  a  place  for  residence.  For  all  these 
things,  then,  due  calculation  must  be  made ;  and  though  no 
human  foresight  can  reach  anything  like  certainty  in  such  a 
matter,  especially  considering  the  rapid  transitions  which  pro- 
perty is  now  frequently  undergoing,  diligent  investigation  will 
commonly  prove  a  tolerably  safe  guide. 

Those  localities  unquestionably  offer  the  greatest  security  in 
regard  to  the  preservation  of  a  respectable  and  partially  rural 
character,  wherein  large  tracts  are  in  the  hands  of  one  or  two 
proprietors,  who  bind  lessees  or  purchasers  to  build  only  a 
certain  number  and  class  of  houses  on  the  land,  and  themselves 
agree  to  lay  it  out  strictly  according  to  a  definite  plan.  Here 
there  is  something  approaching  to  absolute  certainty ;  and  a 


6  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

person  may  settle  on  a  given  spot  with  the  full  knowledge  of 
what  alone  can  be  done  by  all  his  neighbours,  and  the  actual 
status  of  those  neighbours  as  regards  pecuniary  and  social 
considerations. 

Where  several  plots  of  land  overlook  fine  natural  scenery,  as 
on  the  shores  of  large  rivers,  lakes,  or  the  sea,  that  which  is 
nearest  the  object  itself  will  generally  be  the  most  eligible,  if 
other  things  are  about  equal.  For  the  view  over  a  natural 
landscape  that  is  incapable  of  alteration,  and  with  no  intervening 
space  that  can  ever  be  used  by  another  party,  becomes  perfectly 
safe  from  interruption  at  any  future  period,  and  maybe  treated 
much  more  liberally,  and  with  reference  solely  to  individual 
wants  and  tastes.  Every  position  farther  from  the  scenery 
most  worth  preserving,  however  unencumbered  the  view  from 
it  may  be,  will  be  liable  to  have  that  view  more  or  less  inter- 
cepted by  the  uses  to  which  the  interposing  property  may  be 
put,  unless  the  elevation  be  very  considerable,  and  the  slope  of 
the  ground  rapid  and  almost  precipitous. 

If,  again,  land  on  both  sides  of  a  public  road  commands  the 
same  beautiful  scenery,  that  which  is  on  the  side  nearest  the 
scenery  itself  will  be  greatly  superior  as  the  site  for  a  house 
and  garden  ;  because,  on  the  opposite  plot,  a  partial  plantation 
will  have  to  be  made  to  screen  the  place  from  the  road,  and  this 
will,  to  some  extent,  block  out  the  view,  while  the  owner  will 
be  thoroughly  dependent,  in  respect  to  landscape,  on  what  may 
be  done  by  his  opposite  neighbour  in  the  way  of  both  planting 
and  building.  It  will  be  most  unlikely — almost  impossible — 
that  some  of  this  latter  should  not  entirely  obstruct  every 
open  sight  into  the  country  beyond. 

3.  What  has  formerly  been  done  upon  a  place,  may  be  by  no 
means  an  insignificant,  and  will  certainly  be  an  interesting 
question.  The  part  which  it  plays  in  local  histories  or  legends, 
and  the  associations  which  previous  ownership,  or  occupation, 
or  uses,  may  fasten  upon  it,  are  all  worthy  of  scrutiny ;  and 
may  help  either  to  endear  and  enliven  a  spot,  or  to  clothe  it 
with  gloomy  and  repulsive  features. 


FORMER   USES   OF  A  PLACE.  7 

To  be  able  to  trace  back  the  possession  of  a  property  by  one 
or  more  families  through  a  long  series  of  years,  will  be  almost 
as  pleasing  to  some  minds  as  having  a  lengthened  and  well- 
ascertained  personal  pedigree ;  and,  though  many  would  not 
care  to  know  who  have  been  the  former  owners,  and  for  how 
long  a  period  the  history  can  be  made  out,  to  others  such  a 
record  will  be  full  of  attraction;  and  the  very  trees  and 
shrubs,  if  any  old  ones  exist,  will  be  all  the  more  pregnant 
with  interest,  when  it  is  authentically  made  out  by  whom  and 
when  they  were  planted. 

Whether  a  piece  of  land  has  been  used  for  agricultural  pur- 
poses from  time  immemorial,  or  has  always  lain  comparatively 
waste  and  vacant,  or  has  been  the  site  of  a  particular  kind  of 
buildings,  it  may  frequently  be  gratifying  to  learn.  Certain 
uses  to  which  it  may  have  been  put  will  sometimes  suffice  to 
render  the  locality  highly  venerable,  and  almost  sacred.  The 
occurrence  of  Druidical  or  Roman  remains  in  the  neighbour- 
hood, or  the  discovery  of  any  vestige  of  these  on  the  actual 
plot,  or  the  appropriation  of  part  of  the  land  to  ecclesiastical 
objects  in  former  days,  or  the  existence  upon  it  of  any  relic  of 
religious,  or  manorial,  or  lordly  edifices,  may  be  richly  fraught 
with  associations,  all  more  or  less  calculated  to  awaken  and 
satisfy  investigation. 

Nor  will  such  things  be  always  simply  matters  of  amusement 
or  poetry.  They  may  have  their  use  likewise.  In  reviving 
ancient  recollections  and  usages,  or  searching  after  mementos 
of  former  times,  a  variety  of  hints  may  be  gleaned  as  to  the 
treatment  of  a  place,  or  objects  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
composition  of  its  landscape,  which  will  be  exceedingly 
remunerative.  A  valuable  spring  or  well  may  be  laid  bare  ;  a 
charming  ruin  may  be  contrived  from  existing  fragments ;  the 
first  step  in  a  train  of  interesting  antiquarian  researches  may 
be  stumbled  on ;  family  histories,  which  are  often  the  key  to 
greater  memorials,  may  be  brought  to  light ;  and,  what  is  not 
entirely  unimportant,  an  excellent  and  characteristic  name  for 
the  property  may  be  suggested :  for,  hi  the  prevailing  fashion 


8  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

for  distinguishing  every  place,  however  small,  with  a  separate 
title,  those  are  usually  happiest  who  have  some  historical  or 
local  circumstance  on  which  to  found  it.  The  old  and  common 
names  of  fields  are  often  highly  characteristic,  and,  when  suffi- 
ciently descriptive  or  euphonious,  there  is  great  propriety  in 
adopting  the  ancient  title  of  any  part  of  a  property  intended 
for  a  residence,  but  more  particularly  of  the  field  on  which  the 
house  is  to  be  built  or  the  garden  founded. 

4.  The  relative  elevation  of  the  district,  or  of  the  particular 
site  selected  in  it,  will  have  a  great  influence  on  the  healthiness, 
comfort,  and  scenery  of  a  place.  A  tract  that  is  low  and  flat  is 
always  damper,  and  consequently  colder.  I  have  often  noticed 
dips  in  a  road  along  which  I  have  been  accustomed  to  travel  in 
winter  evenings,  where,  by  the  much  greater  coldness  of  the 
atmosphere  in  such  lower  parts,  (even  though  no  water  existed,) 
I  could  distinguish  the  arrival  at  them  with  closed  eyes  ;  and 
where  rivers,  or  streams,  or  other  pieces  of  water  exist  in 
hollows,  their  dampness  and  coldness  are  of  course  increased. 
Fogs,  which  are  notoriously  unhealthy  and  unpleasant,  are 
always  more  prevalent  in  valleys  or  low  level  tracts ;  and  it  is 
a  well-ascertained  fact  that  Spring  frosts  are  felt  much  later, 
and  Autumn  frosts  earlier  in  lowland  districts,  and  near  the 
course  of  streams,  than  on  the  sides  or  summits  of  hills. 

A  rather  elevated  or  hilly  tract,  though  more  exposed  to 
winds  than  a  flatter  locality,  will,  if  it  have  a  good  aspect,  and 
slope  in  the  right  direction,  be  drier  and  warmer  in  winter,  and 
command  much  finer  views  of  the  country.  It  will  be  more 
likely  to  be  free  from  all  kinds  of  nuisances,  to  be  out  of  the 
way  of  cottage  property,  and  to  escape  from  the  gaze  of 
travellers  along  contiguous  roads.  Where  a  house  and  garden 
are  lower  than  the  outside  road,  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  shut 
them  in  effectually.  From  a  gentle  eminence,  too,  it  will  be 
easy  to  conceal  all  the  bad  features  of  the  adjoining  property, 
and  to  make  use  of  all  the  better  objects  in  enhancing  the 
beauty  and  variety  of  a  scene. 

Any  extravagant  height,  however,  above  the  rest  of  the 


NATUEE   OF   THE   SOIL.  9 

country  will  produce  an  amount  of  exposure,  both  for  the 
house  and  garden,  which  will  destroy  some  of  the  enjoyment 
derivable  from  a  habitation,  and  prevent  the  plants  in  a  garden 
from  nourishing  luxuriantly.  It  would,  moreover,  occasion 
some  inconvenience  in  regard  to  the  approach.  To  have  con- 
stantly to  toil  up  a  steep  ascent  before  a  place  can  be  reached, 
will  neither  be  agreeable  to  man  nor  horse,  and  will  contribute 
somewhat  to  lengthen  the  j  ourney.  A  very  moderate  elevation 
is  therefore  best,  and  will  be  specially  appropriate  where  any 
member  of  the  family  has  delicate  health,  and  cannot  endure 
much  in  the  way  of  bracing  winds. 

5.  Of  almost  greater  moment  than  the  altitude  of  a  district, 
is  the  character  of  the  soil  /  and  this,  rather  as  it  affects  the 
health  and  the  comfort,  than  with  reference  to  its  influence  on 
garden  produce  and  operations,  although  the  latter  is  far  from 
being  a  matter  of  indifference.  Scarcely  anything  will  grow 
well  on  thoroughly  stiff  land ;  and  it  is  very  unpleasant  and 
laborious  to  work  it,  besides  requiring  more  attention  as  to 
the  choice  of  weather  for  going  upon  it,  than  can  usually  be 
afforded. 

Nothing  is  more  unsatisfactory  than  to  have  a  house  and 
garden  on  a  clayey  soil.  No  amount  of  draining  will  convert 
it  into  an  agreeable  and  open  state.  And  whatever  ingredients 
may  be  added,  or  melioration  by  working  it  may  be  attempted, 
it  will  still  remain  more  or  less  cold  and  sticky,  and  in  some 
degree  unfit  for  developing  vegetable  life  perfectly.  It  will  bo 
bad  to  keep  clean,  and  to  dig,  and  to  crop,  and  to  walk  upon. 
It  will  be  cold  and  greasy  in  wet  weather,  and  cake  together 
and  crack  during  drought.  Few  vegetable  crops  will  succeed 
in  it,  and  a  still  smaller  number  of  flowers.  Even  grass  grown 
upon  it  will  generally  be  either  very  wet  or  very  dry ;  and  the 
atmosphere  above  it  will  be  correspondently  cold  and  moist 
throughout  the  winter.  Unless  the  utmost  care  be  used  to 
prevent  any  part  of  a  building  from  coming  into  contact  with 
it,  a  considerable  dampness  will  be  communicated  from  it  to 
the  walls,  and  a  house  will  thus  be  made  exceedingly  miserable. 


10  PRELIMINARY  CONSIDERATIONS. 

Land  of  a  light  and  open  texture  is,  on  the  contrary,  con- 
ducive to  both  health  and  enjoyment,  and  renders  a  house 
comfortable,  and  a  garden  delightful  at  all  times.  It  never 
becomes  too  wet ;  it  is  readily  worked  in  almost  any  weather ; 
it  makes  a  lawn  pleasant  to  walk  upon,  and  encourages  the 
growth  of  the  finer  grasses  ;  it  is  the  best  of  soil  for  flowers, 
and,  with  due  enrichment,  for  vegetables  and  fruit-trees  ;  and, 
in  short,  for  any  purpose  it  will  be  found  either  perfectly  suit- 
able, or  capable  of  quickly  being  made  so. 

Nor  is  the  surface  soil  alone  of  consequence ;  for  the  sub- 
stratum will  continually  more  or  less  affect  the  upper  crust.  A 
cold  and  clayey  foundation  soil,  or  a  close  retentive  layer  of 
gravel,  will  act  upon  the  roots  of  all  the  larger  growing  plants, 
and  tend  to  produce  feebleness  and  disease  after  they  have  once 
reached  it.  A  rocky,  chalky,  or  sandy  bottom  will  be  much  the 
driest,  and  altogether  the  most  calculated  to  promote  human 
enjoyment  and  vegetable  health. 

It  follows,  therefore,  that  a  light  and  porous  (though  not  a 
very  sandy,  or  friable,  or  shallow)  soil,  on  a  dry  and  open,  or 
rocky  foundation,  will  be  the  best  to  build  upon,  so  as  to  secure 
dryness  and  warmth  in  a  house,  and  the  fittest  to  make  a  gar- 
den pleasurable,  and  to  supply  the  conditions  most  needed  by 
the  bulk  of  vegetables,  flowers,  and  fruits.  And  it  will,  in 
point  of  economy,  do  away  with  some,  at  least,  of  the  neces- 
sity for  artificial  drainage. 

Lest  this  conclusion,  however,  should  be  unduly  appropriated, 
it  may  be  well  to  state  that  it  applies  only  to  garderi  ground, 
and  to  the  site  of  a  residence  ;  and  that,  even  for  the  former, 
any  extreme  of  lightness  or  sandiness  will  be  apt  to  occasion 
withered  grass  in  the  summer,  and  the  necessity  for  increased 
manuring  in  the  kitchen  garden.  For  all  farming  purposes,  a 
moderately  heavy  land  is  decidedly  preferable :  as,  if  properly 
drained,  and  carefully  worked,  it  will  yield  far  more  abundant 
crops  at  a  much  lighter  expense  in  the  way  of  manure. 

6.  With  respect  to  the  shape  or  outline  of  a  small  place,  that 
form  is  most  suitable  which  is  simple,  free  from  all  acutely 


SHAPE   OF   THE   LAND.  11 

angular  corners,  and  any  great  irregularities.  A  place  that  has 
many  angles,  or  a  very  broken  outline,  is  less  capable  of  being 
made  either  useful  or  ornamental,  requires  a  larger  amount  of 
fencing,  (which  is  always  expensive,)  and  the  fences  consume 
more  ground,  as  well  as  throw  a  greater  extent  of  shadow  on 
the  parts  within  them.  Very  narrow  pieces  of  land  are  also  to 
be  avoided,  as  affording  no  scope  for  variety  of  treatment,  and 
presenting  the  hard  boundary  lines  too  prominently. 

That  boundary  is  unquestionably  the  best  which  is  composed 
of  pretty  regular  lines,  and  brings  the  whole  into  a  somewhat 
oblong  figure,  of  which  the  greatest  length  is  north  and  south, 
or  nearly  so,  the  length  being  about  one-third  greater  than  the 
breadth.  Such  a  shape  is  particularly  adapted  for  the  geo- 
metrical style  of  gardening.  In  the  freer  English  manner,  a 
little  more  irregularity  of  outline  might  be  preferable.  If  the 
southerly  end  of  such  a  plot  be  the  broadest,  this  will  be  a 
decided  merit  generally,  as  it  will  afford  a  wider  range  of  view, 
and  make  the  whole  appear  larger  from  the  best  windows  of 
the  house. 

A  nearly  triangular  figure,  the  narrow  end  of  which  is  cut  off, 
and  not  drawn  to  a  point,  and  the  broader  end  having  a  rather 
southerly  aspect,  will  be  a  desirable  shape  for  a  small  piece  of 
land.  If  there  be  space  enough  for  the  entrances  on  the  north- 
ern side,  the  increased  and  expanding  breadth  at  the  south 
part  will  be  of  great  consequence  in  an  ornamental  point  of  view. 
At  the  same  time,  nothing  could  be  more  unfortunate  than  to 
have  a  plot  gradually  narrowing  away  on  the  best  side  of  the 
house  ;  and  a  shape  at  all  approaching  to  a  triangle,  with  the 
narrow  part  fronting  the  principal  windows  of  the  house, 
would  be  one  of  the  worst  that  could  be  selected,  unless  the 
slope  of  the  land  be  a  very  rapid  one  towards  the  south,  and 
(what  is  of  rare  occurrence)  the  property  immediately  in  front 
be  of  a  decidedly  open  and  park-like  character. 

On  the  whole,  then,  the  spot  that  requires  the  least  quantity 
of  fencing,  which  gives  sufficient  room  for  access  on  the  entrance 
front,  and  which  widens  out  towards  the  extreme  verge  on  the 


12  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

best  side  of  the  house,  will,  by  admitting  a  greater  breadth  and 
variety  of  prospect,  and  more  light  and  air,  as  well  as  by  im- 
parting an  appearance  of  extent,  and  rendering  the  fences 
cheaper  and  easier  to  preserve,  be  in  all  respects  preferable. 

7.  Where  a  person  is  in  some  measure  tied  to  a  particular 
district  by  business  or  other  connexions,  of  course  there  cannot 
be  much  latitude  of  choice  in  regard  to  climate.  But  those 
who  have  habituated  themselves  to  observe  differences  of  this 
kind,  will  know  that,  within  the  circuit  of  a  few  miles  around 
any  town,  there  will  be  found  the  most  striking  variations  of 
climate ;  according  as  certain  winds  prevail,  or  particular 
degrees  of  elevation  or  amounts  of  vegetable  furniture  exist. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  towns,  a  knowledge  of  the  prevailing 
winds  is  of  very  great  moment ;  for,  at  the  opposite  point 
from  which  they  come,  there  will  generally  be  a  greater  visita- 
tion of  smoke  and  other  nuisances.  But  if  the  parts  over 
which  smoke  would  thus  frequently  travel  are  elevated,  the 
atmosphere  will  not  be  so  much  polluted  as  it  would  were  they 
low  and  flat.  Hilly  tracts,  again,  as  previously  mentioned,  are 
not  so  liable  to  be  affected  with  dense  and  disagreeable  fogs. 

Generally,  the  south  side  of  a  town  is  decidedly  the  warmest, 
and  the  north-west  side  the  healthiest ;  though  of  course  there 
will  be  exceptions  in  particular  cases.  A  part  that  has  some 
undulation,  and  is  well  drained,  and  tolerably  furnished  with 
trees,  will  usually  be  healthier,  and  will  certainly  conduce  most 
to  comfort. 

Regarding  the  most  desirable  aspect  for  a  place,  more  posi- 
tive rules  can  be  given.  A  slope  that  inclines  to  the  south- 
east is  unquestionably  the  best  for  every  purpose.  It  is  more 
healthy,  more  cheerful,  better  suited  for  the  growth  of  plants, 
drier,  and  warmer,  than  any  other  that  can  be  chosen. 

A  garden  that  has  not  a  good  aspect  is  seldom  enjoyable.  It 
will  usually  be  damp  and  cold  ;  the  walks  mossy,  and  the  plants 
unhealthy.  It  will  be  wanting  in  the  great  charm  produced 
by  light  and  shade.  Flowers  will  not  develop  themselves  freely 
and  finely ;  nor  will  fruits  be  abundant  or  good.     In  fact,  with 


SHELTER.  13 

a  bad  aspect,  the  beauty  of  a  garden,  and  the  pleasure  it  pro- 
duces, will  be  greatly  diluted  and  marred. 

It  is  true  that,  in  looking  over  an  extensive  landscape,  the 
effects  are  sometimes  heightened  and  improved,  and  the  ob- 
server is  able  to  examine  them  better,  when  the  sun  is  behind 
him,  and  he  can  stand  in  the  shade  to  scrutinize  a  richly 
illumined  scene.  Every  feature  thus  becomes  more  distinct ; 
the  eye  is  not  pained  or  dazzled  ;  and  the  atmosphere  appears 
clearer.  But  the  benefit  obtained  by  these  results  would  never 
atone  for  the  great  disadvantages  of  a  northerly  aspect ;  and 
they  can,  moreover,  often  be  realized  from  the  entrance  front 
of  a  place,  without  any  sacrifice  of  aspect. 

8.  To  render  a  place  of  residence  thoroughly  delightful,  it 
should  not  be  destitute  of  shelter ;  and,  where  this  exists 
naturally,  or  is  already  provided,  the  spot  will  be  all  the  more 
eligible  as  the  site  for  a  house  and  garden. 

If  a  good  range  of  hills  extend  along  the  north,  north-east, 
and  north-west  sides  of  a  plot,  and  at  no  great  distance  from 
it,  it  will  be  admirably  sheltered.  No  position  could  be  warmer 
or  more  favourable  than  one  on  the  slope  or  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  base  of  such  a  range  of  hills.  They  will  ward  off  all 
the.  worst  and  most  unhealthy  winds  to  which  this  country  is 
exposed,  without  at  all  interfering  with  the  action  of  the  sun 
at  any  time  of  the  day,  or  during  any  part  of  the  year. 

In  hilly  countries,  there  is  often  a  considerable  depression 
or  hollow  in  the  face  of  the  hills,  caused  by  the  projection  of 
large  arms  or  buttresses  on  either  side  ;  and  the  basin  thus 
formed,  if  it  front  any  point  near  the  south,  will  yield  a  par- 
ticularly warm  and  snug  retreat  for  a  house  and  homestead. 

Masses  of  well-grown  trees  on  the  northerly  sides  of  a  place 
would  be  an  excellent  substitute  for  hills,  and  may  occasionally 
be  more  pleasant  and  congenial.  Plantations  are  always 
highly  effective  in  regard  to  shelter,  and  it  is  a  great  point  to 
find  them  already  on  the  ground. 

Independently  of  shelter,  however,  if  trees  have  not  been 
drawn  up  and  spoiled  by  neglect,  there  can  scarcely  be  too 


14  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

many  of  them  on  any  spot  intended  for  habitation.  Nothing 
is  easier  than  to  thin  out  and  remove  them ;  and  there  is  always 
a  great  pleasure  resulting  from  the  formation  of  openings 
through  old  plantations,  to  get  views  of  the  outside  country. 
If  the  trees  be  not  unhealthy,  therefore,  and  are  well  supplied 
with  branches,  the  more  abundantly  they  exist,  the  greater  will 
be  the  capabilities  of  a  place.  Large  or  aged  trees  and  shrubs 
are  also  valuable  in  destroying  all  semblance  of  newness  or 
rawness  in  a  garden,  in  giving  an  appearance  of  age  and  culti- 
vation, in  shutting  out  bad  objects,  in  improving  the  outlines 
and  grouping  of  new  plantations,  and  in  supplying  an  in- 
creased amount  and  play  of  agreeable  shadow. 

Available  outbuildings,  or  walls,  or  fences  of  any  kind, 
should  not  be  wholly  disregarded.  A  good  existing  fence, 
especially  if  it  be  a  hedge  where  such  a  thing  would  be  wanted, 
will  be  of  the  greatest  use,  as  it  would  take  many  years  to 
rear  it.  But  it  is  better  that  a  plot  should  be  wholly  without 
every  description  of  appurtenance,  than  that  things^of  an 
improper  class,  or  bad  construction,  or  in  a  wrong  position, 
should  exist  to  tempt  the  purchaser  to  retain  them ;  as  the 
greatest  dissatisfaction  is  commonly  experienced  from  patching 
up  an  old  house  or  other  building  that  is  not  strictly  suitable, 
and  which  can  never  afterwards  be  made  so.  It  is  far  more 
pleasurable,  and,  in  the  end,  more  economical,  to  arrange  and 
erect  everything  anew,  than  to  submit  to  great  inconveniences 
for  the  sake  of  preserving  some  relic  of  things  that  actually 
exist,  because  they  happen  to  be  ancient. 

9.  Whatever  kind  of  vieio  is  sought  to  be  obtained  from  a 
place,  can  be  best  compassed  where  it  is  situated  on  a  slight 
eminence ;  and  the  rule  will  hold  good,  whether  the  view  be 
one  of  the  garden  itself,  as  seen  from  the  house,  of  natural 
scenery,  of  an  arable  and  agricultural  district,  of  other  estates, 
of  a  river,  or  lake,  or  the  sea,  of  distant  hills,  or  of  good  indi- 
vidual objects. 

In  relation  to  the  garden  itself,  as  viewed  from  the  house, 
some  modification  of  the  principle  may  perhaps  seem  necessary. 


VIEWS  FROM  THE   PLACE. 


15 


Although,  however,  a  place,  the  ground  of  which  rises  as  it 
recedes  from  the  house,  will  appear  larger,  because  more  of  its 
surface  will  be  seen,  yet  the  reverse  of  this  would  be  the  case 
when  looked  at  from  the  outside  of  the  garden,  or  from  any 
point  just  within  its  boundary ;  and  a  slope  from  the  house 
gives  to  the  latter  an  appearance  of  dryness  and  importance, 
and  enables  one  to  bring  in  the  exterior  landscape  more  easily. 
This  may  be  better  understood  by  reference  to  the  section 
fig.  1,  which  represents  a  piece  of  land  the  form  of  which  is 


Fig.  1. 

entirely  convex,  with  the  house  on  its  summit.  If  the  ground 
also  rises  in  a  gentle  bank,  just  towards  the  boundary,  such  a 
slope,  being  more  perfectly  seen  from  the  house,  will  enlarge 
the  apparent  extent ;  the  general  section  of  such  a  plot  being 
shown  in  fig.  2.     But  any  great  amount  of  convexity  in  the 


Fig.  2. 

surface  of  the  ground,  as  it  slopes  from  the  house,  would  be 
an  evil,  because  it  would  seriously  foreshorten  the  whole,  and 
reduce  its  size  materially  as  seen  from  the  windows.  A  very 
gentle  slope,  with  only  a  small  portion  of  roundness  in  it,  will 
be  preferable. 

One  of  the  chief  desiderata  in  regard  to  the  surface  levels  of 


16  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

a  plot  of  land  is  to  obtain  a  good  platform,  which  is  tolerably 
flat,  as  a  site  for  the  house  and  garden.  This  will  give  the 
house  the  appearance  of  being  more  naturally  placed,  and  will 
lighten  the  expense  of  earthwork  and  of  foundations,  while  it 
will,  in  a  hilly  country,  make  the  garden  more  comfortably 
accessible.  As  a  general  rule,  too,  the  summit  of  a  hill,  if  it 
be  otherwise  than  a  very  low  one,  with  a  broad  piece  of  table 
land  at  the  top,  is  not  so  eligible  for  a  house  as  the  face  of  an 
easy  slope  to  the  south.  In  the  latter  case,  the  hill  itself  will 
afford  some  degree  of  shelter,  and  of  background,  which,  with 
the  necessary  planting,  will  soon  give  a  new  place  a  habitable 
look,  such  as  scarcely  any  amount  of  growth  in  the  trees 
would  impart  to  the  crown  of  a  hill. 

That  the  best  views  of  things  beyond  a  garden  may  be  had 
from  a  partial  elevation  will  be  too  obvious  to  need  enforcing. 
In  regard  to  water,  however,  which  forms  such  a  beautiful 
and  interesting  addition  to  a  landscape,  a  point  of  view  consi- 
derably above  its  level  will  reveal  its  outline  and  extent  more 
distinctly,  and  is  therefore  better  adapted  for  large  and  bold 
sheets  of  it  than  for  smaller  lakes.  Still,  it  will  always  be 
more  pleasing  and  comfortable  to  be  a  good  deal  above  a 
piece  of  water,  that  it  may  seem  in  a  valley,  and  that  the  gar- 
den may  convey  the  impression  of  being  elevated. 

It  is  far  from  being  desirable  that  only  the  features  of  nature 
should  be  seen  from  a  place.  The  better  parts  of  detached 
neighbouring  houses,  good  public  buildings,  places  of  worship, 
&c,  will,  if  nicely  brought  into  view,  give  an  air  of  habitation 
and  sociality  to  a  district.  Rows  of  houses,  however,  or  masses 
of  cottages,  unless  the  latter  be  pleasing  in  themselves  or  pic- 
turesquely grouped,  will  be  very  unsightly  and  unsuitable  con- 
stituents of  a  landscape.  And  a  spot  that  overlooks  a  town, 
except  partially,  and  from  a  height,  and  so  as  to  catch  merely 
the  principal  buildings,  need  never  be  sought.  Still,  glimpses 
of  a  navigable  river,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  a  large  town, 
may,  from  the  variety  and  motion  of  the  craft  employed  upon 
it,  give  animation  and  beauty  to  a  scene.    So,  likewise,  a  distant 


SITE   AND   ASPECT   FOR  A   HOUSE.  17 

view  of  a  town  or  of  a  portion  of  it,  where  there  is  any  irregu- 
larity of  surface,  or  where  the  principal  buildings  serve  to  com- 
pose a  picture,  which  is  framed  by  nearer  trees  and  plantations, 
may  occasionally  be  rendered  attractive  and  even  striking. 

10.  The  principal  aspect  of  a  house,  like  that  of  the  garden, 
should  be  as  nearly  as  possible  south-east.  This  will  allow  of 
the  entrance  beins:  on  the  north-west  side,  the  breakfast-room 
or  library  having  a  south-east  aspect,  the  drawing-room  with  a 
south-east  and  a  south-west  window,  and  the  dining-room 
looking  north-east  or  north-west,  which  is,  perhaps,  the  best 
arrangement.  If  the  kitchen  and  offices  be  on  the  ground-floor, 
they  can  be  kept  on  the  north-east  side  of  the  house,  where  the 
yard  will  also  be  situated,  and  from  which  last  there  should  be 
a  communication  with  the  kitchen-garden. 

A  gentle  eminence,  with  the  ground  sloping  a  little  away 
from  it  in  all  directions,  especially  towards  the  south,  will  be  the 
best  site  for  a  house.  An  approach  by  a  rising  road,  and 
command  of  the  outlying  scenery,  will  thus  be  attained ;  while 
the  house  will  be  dry,  and  appear  to  be  so.  Its  dignity  and 
importance  will  also  thus  be  enhanced.  It  should  be  put 
rather  nearer  the  north-east  than  the  south-west  side  of  a  plot, 
that  there  may  be  some  slight  breadth  of  pleasure-garden  in 
front  of  the  side-drawing-room  window,  and  that  the  offices  and 
yard  may  not  be  too  much  obtruded.  The  centre  of  the  house 
should  be  about  one-third  the  distance  from  the  entrance  to  the 
opposite  boundary  of  the  pleasure-grounds,  that  two-thirds  of 
the  ground  may  be  devoted  to  the  private  garden. 

Any  other  aspect  than  a  south-eastern  one  will  not  be 
nearly  so  appropriate.  The  south-west  would  probably  be  as 
good  were  it  not  such  a  stormy  and  rainy  quarter  ;  and  views 
towards  the  south-east  will  be  most  pleasing  in  the  evening  of 
the  day,  when  rooms  are  generally  more  used  or  more  enjoyed. 
An  eastern  aspect  will  be  cold ;  and  easterly  winds  are  extremely 
harsh  and  unpleasant.  Westerly  rooms,  again,  would  be 
similarly  cold,  and  exposed  to  a  great  deal  of  rain.  Any  aspect 
nearer  the  north,  except  for  a  dining-room,  (which  should  be 


18  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

free  from  sunshine  at  the  dinner  hour,)  would  render  a  house 
cheerless,  damp,  and  uncomfortable.  An  abundance  of  sunshine 
can  alone  keep  it  dry  and  warm,  and  pleasantly  habitable. 

A  south-easterly  aspect  will  be  the  fittest,  moreover,  for  a 
greenhouse  or  conservatory,  if  that  is  wished  to  be  added  to  the 
front  of  a  house.  And  when  the  kitchen -garden-wall  is  carried 
out  in  a  direction  parallel  with  the  best  front  of  the  house,  as  it 
may  be,  the  south-east  will  likewise  be  the  finest  aspect  for  the 
choicest  fruit-trees.  In  an  architectural  light,  also,  if  the  south- 
east and  south-west  are  the  best  elevations  of  a  house,  a  greater 
variety  of  light  and  shadow  will  probably  be  obtained  from  a 
nice  arrangement  of  their  parts,  than  could  be  had  on  any  other 
side. 

I  have  here  introduced  the  ground-plan  of  an  imaginary 
house,  (fig.  3,)  by  way  of  illustrating,  generally,  what  would  be 
a  desirable  arrangement  of  the  rooms,  windows,  offices,  &c,  with 
reference  to  both  aspect  and  convenience.  Not  that  I  would 
pretend  to  such  a  knowledge  of  architectural  detail  as  would 
induce  me  to  design  a  house  that  should  actually  be  erected. 
But,  having  given  the  subject  a  good  deal  of  consideration,  and 
having  frequently  experienced  the  difficulty  of  adapting  grounds 
to  what  would  appear  to  be  great  defects  in  architectural  plans, 
I  venture  to  suggest  a  hint  or  two  on  this  point,  as  viewed 
chiefly  in  the  light  of  my  own  profession. 

By  the  sketch,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  entrance  to  the  house 
is  from  the  north-west,  that  no  important  windows  are  on  that 
side,  and  that  the  vestibule  (1)  projects  sufficiently  beyond  the 
main  line  of  the  building  to  allow  of  an  easy  approach  to  the 
door  bv  a  carriage.  The  vestibule  is  lighted  from  the  south- 
west  side,  and  has  a  recess  in  it  (2)  for  hats,  cloaks,  &c,  and  may 
be  separated  from  the  hall  (3)  by  glass  doors.  The  hall  is  also 
lighted  by  a  window  from  the  south-west,  which  would  render 
it  cheerful,  and  give  it  more  of  the  character  of  a  room.  It 
might  also  have  a  fire-place  opposite  the  entrance,  or  against  the 
wall  that  divides  it  from  the  staircase.  It  opens  on  to  a  corridor 
(4)  connected  with  all  the  principal  rooms,  and  having  a  large 


19 


20  PRELIMINARY  CONSIDERATIONS. 

window  looking  on  the  garden  at  the  south-west  end,  and  a  glass 
door,  which  is  the  entrance  to  the  conservatory,  at  the  other 
end.  From  this  corridor,  about  the  centre  of  the  house,  the 
staircase,  (5,)  which  is  kept  separate  from  the  hall,  although 
directly  connected  with  it,  and  is  opposite  the  doors  of  the  chief 
rooms,  turns  to  the  north-west,  and  has  a  broad  window  on  the 
landing.  The  drawing-room  placed  at  the  south  corner  of  the 
house,  farthest  from  the  offices  and  nearest  the  entrance  door, 
has  a  large  bow- window  to  the  south-west,  so  as  to  obtain  a  view 
of  the  garden  on  that  side,  and  of  the  setting  sun,  and  it  has 
likewise  two  windows  on  the  south-east  side.  The  library  or 
morning-room  (7)  is  next  the  drawing-room  with  the  window  to 
the  south-east ;  while  the  dining-room  (8)  is  farthest  from  the 
entrance,  is  near  the  kitchen  and  offices,  and  has  two  doors,  one 
of  which,  close  to  the  back  passage,  is  for  servants.  The  prin- 
cipal window  of  the  dining-room  is  to  the  south-east,  and  there 
are  two  smaller  windows  to  the  north-east,  one  of  which  looks 
into  the  conservatory  (9).  It  would  thus  be  a  cheerful  break- 
fast or  morning-room,  and  the  sun  will  have  left  it  Ions;  before 
the  usual  dinner-hour.  The  door  from  the  corridor  into  the 
conservatory  would  also  serve  as  a  garden  door,  there  being 
another  door  opposite  to  it  into  the  garden. 

On  the  north-west  side  of  the  house,  there  is  an  office,  busi- 
ness, or  gentleman's  room,  (10,)  containing  a  recess  for  an  iron 
safe,  (11,)  and  readily  accessible  from  the  servants'  apartments. 
There  is  next  a  butler's  pantry,  (12,)  with  a  recess  for  a  plate 
safe,  (13,)  this  apartment  being  placed  as  near  as  possible  to  the 
entrance  door  and  to  the  entertaining  rooms,  besides  being  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  kitchen,  and  overlooking,  by  its 
window,  the  approach  to  the  house.  At  14,  detached  alike  from 
the  main  corridor  and  from  the  servants'  passage,  is  a  water- 
closet,  and  15  is  a  housekeeper's  room.  The  kitchen  (16)  has  a 
scullery  (17)  and  a  pantry  or  store-closet  (18)  attached  to  it, 
the  windows  looking  into  the  house-yard.  A  servants'  corridor 
(19)  is  terminated  by  a  back  staircase,  (20,)  which  is  close  to  the 
servants'  hall,  (21,)  the  latter  having  its  windows  to  the  drying- 


BACK  EOADS.  21 

ground,  and  being:  near  the  back  entrance.  None  of  the  office 
windows  look  into  the  garden  or  pleasure-grounds,  as  the  win- 
dow for  lighting  the  back  corridor  may  be  of  dulled  glass. 

In  the  house-yard  (22)  there  is  sufficient  space  for  a  cart  to 
turn,  and  from  this  yard  only  is  there  access  to  the  drying- 
ground,  (23,)  which  has  a  hedge  on  the  side  next  the  house- 
yard.  The  coal-shed  (24)  ash-pit  (25)  and  water-closet  (26) 
are  placed  in  a  recess  of  the  house-yard,  where  they  are  more 
out  of  observation,  and  the  yard  is  thus  left  clearer,  neater, 
and  more  compact.  The  numbers  27,  28,  and  29,  refer  to  a 
compost  and  rubbish  yard,  the  kitchen-garden,  and  a  flower- 
garden,  respectively. 

11.  In  connexion  with  every  house,  there  are  certain  matters 
of  convenience  and  utility  to  be  transacted,  which  if  they  can- 
not be  carried  on  apart  from  the  ornamental  portion  of  the 
garden,  would  interfere  with  its  privacy  and  its  beauty.  Coals, 
and  a  variety  of  other  necessaries,  have  to  be  brought  to  a 
house  ;  and  rubbish  of  several  kinds  requires  to  be  taken  from 
it.  To  accomplish  this,  it  is  essential  to  the  enjoyment  of  a 
place  that  it  should  have  a  back  and  front  approach  /  and 
the  facilities  for  affording  these  ought  to  be  the  subject  of  cal- 
culation when  the  land  is  obtained. 

When  the  access  to  a  house  is  from  a  main  road  along  its 
northerly  side,  separate  approaches  can  readily  be  secured,  by 
entering  at  different  points  along  that  boundary.  If  the  approach 
be  only  on  any  side  near  the  south,  however,  it  is  difficult  to  get 
a  second  entrance  without  grievously  cutting  up  the  best  part 
of  the  place.  And  where  one  entrance  is  used  on  the  south  side 
for  all  purposes,  the  privacy  of  the  garden  will  be  almost  entirely 
destroyed,  and  servants,  tradesmen,  vagrants,  &c,  will  have  the 
use  of  the  best  part  of  the  garden,  and  be  able  to  gaze  into  the 
best  windows.  It  is  a  great  nuisance,  too,  to  have  coals  and 
similar  dirty  things  conveyed  over  the  principal  approach  to  a 
house,  and  possibly  deposited  close  to  the  front  door. 

If,  therefore,  the  chief  entrance  to  a  place  has  necessarily  to 
be  on  the  southerly  side,  it  will  be  desirable  to  have  a  small 


22  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

public  lane  at  the  back  of  the  land,  by  which  access  can  be  given 
to  the  offices  of  the  house,  and  to  the  kitchen-garden,  without 
intruding  upon  the  better  portions  of  the  pleasure-grounds. 

That  some  degree  of  practical  bearing  may  be  given  to  this 
part  of  the  book,  an  outline  imaginary  sketch,  (fig.  4,)  embody- 
ing some  of  the  principal  points  which  have  been  discussed,  is 
now  presented.  The  plan  of  the  house,  on  a  previous  page,  is 
taken  as  a  basis  of  the  arrangement,  and  the  present  sketch  is 
intended  to  exemplify,  generally,  a  good  shape  for  a  small  plot  of 
land,  with  the  relative  position  of  the  house,  offices,  approaches, 
gardens,  field,  <fec,  as  these  might  appropriately  be  disposed.  It 
does  not  purport  to  be  a  perfect  model  of  design,  but  is  simply 
brought  forward  to  show  how  the  various  parts  of  a  place 
may  be  arranged,  and  dovetailed  into  each  other.  For  the 
sake  of  additional  clearness,  all  minor  details  are  omitted. 

The  plot  of  land  represented  is  supposed  to  contain  about 
eight  statute  acres,  having  a  public  road  along  the  north-western 
margin ;  the  parts  about  the  house  being  tolerably  flat,  the  field 
sloping  to  the  south-east,  and  an  open  country  lying  towards  the 
south  and  east,  with  similar  places  to  the  south-west  and  north- 
east. The  figures  indicate  the  house,  (1 ,)  the  offices,  (2,)  the  con- 
servatory, (3,)  the  house-yard,  (4,)  the  drying-ground,  (5,)  the 
coal  and  other  sheds,  (6  and  7,)  the  compost  and  rubbish-yard,  and 
frame-ground,  (8,)  with  a  sunk  pit  (30)  in  the  corner,  for  receiving 
sweepings  and  other  refuse.  The  stable-yard  (9)  contains  a 
coach-house,  (10,)  two  loose  boxes,  (11,)  a  harness-room  and  open 
porch,  (12  and  13,)  with  coachman's  sleeping-room  and  clock- 
tower  over  them,  the  stable,  (14,)  and  two  pits  (15)  for  manure. 
There  is  a  cottage  for  the  gardener,  (16,)  with  a  small  yard,  (1 7,) 
and  the  requisite  conveniences  attached.  Provision  for  cows, 
pigs,  and  poultry  is  made  in  the  separate  yard,  (18,)  where  there 
is  a  cow-house,  (19,)  pig-styes,  (20,)  and  a  poultry-house  at  21. 
The  garden-yard  is  at  22,  and  has  in  it,  abutting  against  the 
back  of  the  hothouses,  a  boiler-house,  (23,)  a  mushroom-house, 
(24,)  a  tool-shed,  (25,)  an  open  shed  for  barrows,  ladders,  soils, 
&c,  (26,)  a  potting-shed,  (27,)  a  fruit-room,  (28,)  and,  at  29,  a 


23 


Fig.  4.— Outline  Plan  of  a  Place. 


24  PRELIMINARY   CONSIDERATIONS. 

seed-room.  An  early  vinery  (31)  is,  like  the  mushroom-house, 
in  direct  connexion  with  the  boiler-shed,  while  32  is  for  an 
orchard-house  or  plant-house,  (span-roofed,)  and  33  is  a  late 
vinery  or  peach-house.  At  34  are  the  borders  for  the  vines  or 
peach-trees.  The  kitchen-garden  (35)  is  surrounded  with  a  wall, 
and  has  a  basin  for  water  (36)  in  the  centre.  Places  for  flower- 
beds, contiguous  to  the  conservatory,  and  in  a  warm,  sheltered 
corner,  are  shown  at  37.  The  border  (38)  is  for  choice  flowers, 
in  front  of  part  of  the  kitchen-garden  wall,  which  is  rendered 
ornamental  by  piers  on  the  pleasure-grounds  side,  and  is  intended 
to  support  the  better  kinds  of  climbers.  The  circular  figure 
(39)  might  be  arranged  as  a  small  American  or  winter-garden, 
and  the  spaces  at  40  could  be  used  for  a  collection  of  roses,  in 
front  of  a  rose-covered  arbour,  (41,)  which  would  constitute 
the  termination  of  two  walks.  A  road  from  the  farm-yard, 
stable-yard,  &c.,  into  the  field,  is  indicated  at  42  ;  and  a  walk 
which  might  pass  round  the  field,  and  through  occasional 
plantations  on  the  margin  of  the  latter,  leaves  the  pleasure- 
grounds  at  43  ;  the  fence  which  divides  the  pleasure-grounds 
from  the  field  being  marked  by  the  dotted  line  44.  The 
general  lawn  (45)  would,  of  course,  be  clothed  with  masses 
of  shrubs  and  specimen  plants,  with  a  few  flower-beds. 

It  will  readily  be  perceived,  from  this  sketch,  that  a  good  deal 
of  accommodation  is  compressed  into  a  small  compass,  and  that, 
while  each  of  the  departments  is  kept  essentially  separate,  they 
are  all,  where  necessary,  very  thoroughly  and  directly  connected. 
The  principal  approach  to  the  house  has  a  branch  to  the  stables, 
and  one  back  entrance  is  made  to  give  access  to  the  house-yard, 
the  frame-ground,  the  stable-yard,  and,  through  the  latter,  to 
the  farm-yard,  the  yard  attached  to  the  gardener's  cottage,  and 
the  field.  The  drying-ground  is  connected  only  with  the  house- 
yard,  and  has  a  hedge  on  which  linen  may  be  hung  to  bleach, 
on  one  side  of  it.  The  frame-ground  communicates  with  the 
house-yard  and  the  garden-yard,  and  thus  affords  a  direct  way 
from  the  kitchen-garden  to  the  back  entrance  door.  There  is 
also  space  enough  for  pits  and  frames  on  the  north  side  of  the 


GENERAL  ARRANGEMENT  OF  A  PLACE.        25 

frame-ground,  which  will  be  beyond  the  shade  of  walls  or  build- 
ings; and  the  separating  line  between  this  ground  and  the 
garden-yard  is  merely  a  hedge.  A  cart  entrance  into  the  frame- 
ground  completes  the  facilities  of  communication,  by  allowing 
soils  or  manure  to  be  introduced,  or  rubbish  carted  away.  And 
the  pit  for  rubbish  in  the  corner  of  this  ground  would  enable 
the  gardener  always  to  keep  it  clean  and  tidy. 

The  position  of  the  stable-yard,  on  the  north  side  of  the  house, 
is  a  favourable  one,  as  there  is  comparatively  little  wind  from 
that  quarter  to  convey  any  kind  of  nuisance ;  and  the  stables  are 
conveniently  near,  without  being  uncomfortably  or  obtrusively 
so.  It  will  be  noticed,  too,  that  the  stable  buildings  are  opposite 
the  centre  of  the  kitchen-garden,  so  that  the  clock-tower  would 
be  an  object  from  the  middle  walk ;  and  both  the  stables  and 
the  farni-buildings  face  the  south-east,  which  would  render  them 
dry,  pleasant,  and  healthy.  The  situation  of  the  manure-pits  is 
likewise  convenient  for  conveying  the  manure  to  the  frame- 
ground,  the  kitchen-garden,  or  the  field ;  and  the  manure  made 
in  the  cow-house  and  pig-styes  could,  by  the  doors  into  the 
garden-yard  and  into  the  back  road,  be  removed  with  similar 
ease. 

In  the  walls,  too,  there  would  be  considerable  economy  of 
space  and  material,  as  most  of  them  are  made  to  answer  a  double 
end.  The  wall  on  the  south-east  and  north-east  sides  of  the 
kitchen-garden  is  capable  of  being  used  for  fruit-trees  on  both 
sides,  and  that  along  the  south-western  margin,  as  just  men- 
tioned, serves  for  ornamental  climbers  on  the  side  towards  the 
pleasure-grounds. 

By  placing  the  gardener's  cottage  near  the  north-comer  of 
the  land,  the  whole  property  is  protected  on  that  side,  and  the 
gardener  is  brought  into  the  midst  of  his  more  important  duties. 
A  path  from  the  high  road  to  the  cottage,  as  shown,  would 
enable  any  one  to  come  to  it  independently,  without  a  chance 
of  their  passing  into  the  grounds. 

A  little  architectural  skill  in  the  treatment  of  the  various 
elevations,  and  the  adoption  of  such  details  and  decorations  as 

2 


26  PKELIMINAKY  CONSIDERATIONS. 

would  give  harmony  and  consistency  to  the  whole,  might,  I  con- 
ceive, produce  an  agreeable  effect  of  grouping  from  so  varied 
an  outline,  and,  by  a  judicious  adaptation  of  the  roofs,  turn  even 
the  subordinate  offices  to  advantage.  On  the  treatment  of  the 
roofs,  indeed,  both  as  regards  the  material  used,  the  pitch,  the 
breadth  of  the  eaves,  and  the  diversity  of  elevation,  the  general 
picturesqueness  and  character  of  any  group  of  buildings  must 
ever  very  manifestly  depend. 

To  sum  up  the  suggestions  offered  under  this  head,  though 
few  pieces  of  land  would  perfectly  fulfil  all  the  several  require- 
ments thus  set  forth,  it  may  safely  be  affirmed  that  such  as 
make  the  nearest  approach  to  them  will  produce  the  greatest 
amount  of  comfort  and  satisfaction,  and  be  most  permanently 
fertile  in  the  various  sources  of  pleasure.  And  where  two  places 
comprising  a  fair  proportion  of  some  of  these  capabilities,  but 
wanting  in  others,  should  come  into  competition,  the  preponde- 
rance in  either  of  those  particular  merits  to  which  most  import- 
ance is  attached  by  the  individual  selecting,  must  determine 
their  relative  desirableness. 

It  is  not  for  a  moment  supposed  that  the  question  has  here 
been  fully  considered.  All  that  has  been  pretended  to  be  done 
is,  to  offer  a  few  leading  hints.  The  standing,  occupations,  or 
pursuits,  or  objects,  or  connexions,  or  tastes  of  each  person 
choosing  a  place  for  residence,  will  all  more  or  less  affect  his  own 
judgment.  But  these  are  matters  which  could  not  profitably 
be  discussed. 


PART  II. 


WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

When  a  physician  is  called  in  to  prescribe  for  a  patient,  one 
of  the  first  things  which  is  commonly  found  necessary,  is  to 
advise  what  the  invalid  should  abstain  from  taking,  and  how 
he  should  endeavour  to  escape  from  injurious  influences.  This 
treatment  is  often  found  sufficient  without  the  use  of  any  medi- 
cine, and,  in  all  cases,  greatly  aids  the  application  of  more 
active  remedies.  And  thus  it  is  with  respect  to  any  one  who 
advises  on  other  subjects.  No  good  foundation  can  be  laid 
for  such  works  as  the  present,  unless  all  erroneous  and  preju- 
dicial notions  be  first  cleared  away. 

Every  one  acquainted  with  the  history  of  science  and  geo- 
graphical discovery  will  be  aware  that  the  labours  of  the  inge- 
nious speculatist  and  the  pioneer,  though  often  resulting  quite 
abortively,  as  far  as  their  particular  object  is  concerned,  are 
always  accounted  valuable  by  those  who  succeed  them.  It  is 
not  the  mere  unfolding  of  truth  to  others  which  constitutes  the 
real  criterion  of  usefulness  in  life.  The  exposure  of  error  may 
be  fully  as  necessary  and  as  beneficial.  Hence,  the  man  who, 
in  his  travels,  finds  that  a  certain  point  cannot  be  attained  by  a 
particular  route,  and  he  who,  by  his  scientific  experiments,  or 
imaginative  flights,  reveals  the  tracts  which  cannot  profitably 
be  further  pursued,  will  sometimes  accomplish  nearly  as  much 
good  as  the  more  successful  but  less  adventurous  investigator. 

In  aiming,  therefore,  to  bring  the  subject  fairly  before  the 
reader,  it  will  be  necessary,  at  starting,  to  show  what  are  the 


28  WHAT   TO   AVOID. 

things  which  the  amateur  should  not  do,  before  proceeding  to 
speak  of  such  as  should  actually  be  performed.  Many  a  per- 
son who  has  gardened  for  himself  has,  no  doubt,  for  want  of 
such  beacons,  irretrievably  spoiled  his  place  before  discovering 
his  error ;  or,  at  least,  involved  himself  in  a  considerably  larger 
outlay,  or  rendered  the  whole  design  patchy  and  disjointed. 

1.  Possibly  the  greatest  and  most  prevalent  mistake  of  those 
who  lay  out  gardens  for  themselves  is  attempting  too  much. 
A  mind  unaccustomed  to  generalise,  or  to  take  in  a  number 
of  leading  objects  at  a  glance,  finds  out  the  different  points 
embraced  in  landscape  gardening  one  by  one,  and,  unable  to 
decide  which  of  them  can  most  suitably  be  applied,  determines 
on  trying  to  compass  more  than  can  really  be  attained.  One 
thing  after  another  is,  at  different  times,  observed  and  liked, 
in  some  similar  j>lace  that  is  visited,  and  each  is  successively 
wished  to  be  transferred  to  the  observer's  own  garden,  without 
regard  to  its  fitness  for  the  locality,  or  its  relation  to  what  has 
previously  been  done.  A  neighbour  or  a  friend  has  a  place  in 
which  certain  features  are  exquisitely  developed,  and  these  are 
at  once  sought  to  be  copied.  The  practice  of  cutting  up  a 
garden  into  mere  fragments,  which  is  unhappily  of  too  frequent 
occurrence,  is  the  natural  result  of  such  a  state  of  things. 

There  are  several  ways  in  which  a  place  may  be  frittered 
away,  so  as  to  be  wholly  deficient  in  character  and  beauty. 
It  may  be  too  much  broken  up  in  its  general  anxmgement ; 
and  this  is  the  worst  variety  of  the  fault,  because  least  easily 
mended,  and  most  conspicuous.  To  aim  at  comprising  the 
principal  features  proper  to  the  largest  gardens  in  those  of 
the  most  limited  size,  is  surely  not  a  worthy  species  of  imi- 
tation, and  one  which  can  only  excite  ridicule,  and  end  in  dis- 
appointment. There  is  a  wide  difference  between  that  variety 
which  is  so  desirable,  and  the  separation  into  minute  parts,  or 
blending  of  incongruous  materials,  now  deprecated ;  the 
former  being  quite  compatible  with  both  unity  and  simplicity. 

A  place  may  likewise  and  easily  be  too  much  carved  up  into 
detached  portions,  or  overshadowed,  or  reduced  in  apparent 


ATTEMPTING   TOO   MUCH.  29 

size,  by  planting  too  largely.  Trees  and  shrubs  constitute  the 
greatest  ornaments  of  a  garden ;  but  they  soon  become  dis- 
agreeable, when  a  place  is  overrun  with  them,  by  contracting 
the  space,  and  shutting  out  light,  and  rendering  the  grass 
imperfect,  and  the  walks  mossy.  Nothing  could  be  more  damp, 
and  gloomy,  and  confined  than  a  small  place  too  much  cumbered 
with  plantations.  Nor  is  the  consideration  of  its  influences  on 
the  health  of  the  occupants  at  all  unimportant  ;  for  where 
sun  and  wind  cannot  get  free  play,  a  moist  and  stagnant  air, 
very  injurious  to  all  animal  life,  is  necessarily  occasioned. 

But  if  this  be  the  case  with  regard  to  any  superfluous  vege- 
tation in  general,  it  is  much  more  true  in  respect  to  large 
timber  trees.  To  introduce  or  retain  many  of  these  in  a  small 
garden  is  quite  contrary  to  all  the  principles  of  good  taste, 
and  conducive  only  to  trouble  and  discomfort.  All  the  evils 
which  attend  a  redundancy  of  the  lower  forms  of  plants  are 
greatly  aggravated,  and  carried  to  their  highest  point  by  a 
similar  overgrowth  of  trees. 

In  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  house,  moreover,  it  is 
particularly  desirable  that  trees  and  shrubs  should  not  abound. 
Independently  of  darkening  the  windows,  they  communicate 
great  dampness  to  the  walls,  and  prevent  that  action  of  the 
wind  upon  the  building  which  alone  can  keep  it  dry,  comfort- 
able, and  consequently  healthy.  It  is  almost  impossible  for 
any  house  to  be  otherwise  than  damp,  which  is  too  much  and 
too  closely  surrounded  by  plantations.  Any  portion  of  these, 
therefore,  which  may  be  necessary  to  shut  out  the  offices  or 
outbuildings,  should  be  placed  as  far  from  the  walls  as  practi- 
cable, and  by  no  means  allowed  to  be  in  contact  with  them. 

Another  mode  in  which  the  effect  of  a  garden  may  be  marred 
by  too  much  being  aimed  at,  is  in  the  formation  of  numerous 
floicer-becls,  or  groups  of  mixed  shrubs  and  flowers  on  the  lawn. 
This  is  a  very  common  failing,  and  one  which  greatly  disfigures 
a  place  ;  especially  as,  where  intended  only  for  flowers,  such 
beds  usually  remain  vacant  and  naked  for  several  months  in 
the  year.     Flower-beds,  too,  when  introduced  in  any  quantity 


30  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

on  a  small  lawn,  have  an  exceedingly  artificial  appearance, 
reminding  one  of  the  character  common  to  children's  gardens. 
They  interfere  sadly  with  all  ideas  of  breadth,  harmony,  and 
repose. 

A  still  more  striking  interruption  to  that  beautiful  continuity 
which  does  so  much  in  the  way  of  producing  size  and  expression, 
occurs  when  unnecessary  divisions  are  introduced  into  a  place. 
These  may  be  employed  to  detach  parts  of  a  very  different 
character ;  or,  as  in  the  old  system  of  hedging  in  particular  por- 
tions, may  simply  be  intended  to  change  the  scene  suddenly,  or 
furnish  certain  lines  which  are  probably  supposed  to  accord  with 
the  general  character  of  the  house.  Not  only,  however,  are  those 
formal  divisions  mostly  inadmissible  in  a  limited  space,  but  all 
kinds  of  sejDarating  lines,  though  varied  and  broken  in  the  most 
artful  manner,  must  be  condemned,  as  a  rule,  unless  where  the 
place  is  tolerably  large.  These  remarks  of  course  do  not  apply 
to  plantations  or  fences  between  the  kitchen  and  pleasure- 
garden,  or  between  the  latter  and  the  field ;  nor  do  they  refer 
to  those  irregular  masses  of  shrubs  or  trees  which  may  some- 
times be  thrown  partly  across  a  lawn,  to  occasion  a  fresh  scene 
behind  them.  They  are  simply  aimed  at  such  separating  lines, 
whether  of  fence  or  plantation,  as  might  be  dispensed  with,  or 
for  which  there  is  no  real  necessity ;  as  well  as  being  further 
opposed  to  the  practice  of  splitting  up  a  place  into  minute 
parts,  instead  of  making  it  as  spacious  and  airy  as  possible. 

Partly  for  the  reasons  just  alleged,  and  also  because  they 
introduce  ugly  strips  of  a  conspicuously  different  colour  on  a 
lawn,  a  multiplicity  of  walks,  beyond  what  are  absolutely 
requisite,  is  very  undesirable  in  a  small  piece  of  ground.  It  is 
acknowledged  that  numerous  walks  conduce  to  variety ;  but  it  is 
much  better  to  have  only  that  moderate  amount  of  the  latter 
which  can  be  attained  without  the  sacrifice  of  simplicity.  Walks 
that  have  no  definite  or  sufficiently  important  object,  and  do  not 
serve  to  reveal  features  or  aspects  of  a  place  that  would  other- 
wise be  imperfectly  seen  or  entirely  lost,  are  always  to  be 
avoided,  as  destroying  the  smoothness,  continuousness,  and 


ATTEMPTING  TOO  MUCH.  31 

extent  of  a  lawn,  and  producing  a  poverty  and  meanness  of 
general  effect. 

A  garden  may  also  be  overloaded  with  a  variety  of  things, 
which,  though  ornamental  in  themselves,  and  not  at  all  out  of 
keeping  with  the  house,  or  the  principal  elements  of  the  land- 
scape, may  yet  impart  to  it  an  affected  or  ostentatious  character. 
An  undue  introduction  of  sculptured  or  other  figures,  vases, 
seats  and  arbours,  baskets  for  plants,  and  such  like  objects, 
would  come  within  the  limits  of  this  description.  And  there  is 
nothing  of  which  people  in  general  are  so  intolerant  in  others,  as 
the  attempt,  when  glaringly  and  injudiciously  made,  to  crowd 
within  a  confined  space  the  appropriate  adornments  of  the  most 
ample  gardens.  It  is  invariably  taken  as  evidence  of  a  desire 
to  appear  to  be  and  to  possess  that  which  the  reality  of  the  case 
will  not  warrant ;  and  is  visited  with  the  reprobation  and  con- 
tempt commonly  awarded  to  ill-grounded  assumption.  An  un- 
presuming  garden,  like  a  modest  individual,  may  have  great 
defects  without  challenging  criticism  ;  and  will  even  be  liked 
and  praised  because  of  its  very  unobtrusiveness.  But  where  a 
great  deal  is  aimed  at,  and  there  is  much  of  pretension,  whether 
in  persons  or  things,  scrutiny  seems  invited,  incongruities  are 
magnified,  and  actual  merits  are  passed  by  unnoticed,  or  dis- 
torted into  something  quite  ridiculous. 

Artificial  mounds,  again,  though  they  may  be  very  useful  for 
some  objects,  and  conducive  to  effect  in  certain  positions,  will, 
if  made  too  high,  or  too  conspicuous,  or  too  decidedly  indicative 
of  the  employment  of  art  in  their  formation,  be  exceedingly 
unsatisfactory.  If  the  ground  of  the  neighbouring  country  be 
very  flat,  they  will  appear  all  the  more  out  of  place ;  and 
require  adapting  with  the  nicest  elaboration.  Everything  in 
the  shape  of  a  large  hillock,  or  long  line  of  bank,  that  has  no 
particular  meaning,  and  is  badly  connected  with  the  general 
surface,  can  never  present  a  pleasing  character.  Some  evi- 
dence of  a  sufficient  intention  or  purpose,  and  a  manifest  cor- 
respondence with  the  rest  of  the  scene,  will  be  absolutely  de- 
manded in  all  such  elevations. 


32  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

2.  Among  the  more  specific  features  to  be  repudiated  in  a 
small  garden,  the  employment  of  rockeries  or  other  rustic  ob- 
jects in  connexion  with  the  house,  or  in  its  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood, may  be  next  mentioned.  Every  house  must  be 
regarded  as  a  work  of  art,  whatever  may  be  its  class  or  merit ; 
and  there  would  consequently  be  a  want  of  harmony  in  asso- 
ciating it  with  anything  composed  of  or  resembling  the  uncul- 
tivated parts  of  nature.  However  ingeniously  it  may  be  con- 
trived, or  executed,  therefore,  a  rockery  near  a  house  must  be 
considered  radically  wrong ;  and  though  great  skill  should  be 
used  in  adaptation,  or  a  variety  of  fortunate  accidents  eventu- 
ally awaken  interest,  these  can  never  wholly  at  one  for  a  funda- 
mental error.  Nor  will  the  way  in  which  such  things  are  gene- 
rally managed  admit  of  even  this  extenuation  and  excuse.  And 
as  a  retired  corner  could  almost  always  be  found  for  cultivating 
rock-plants,  if  desired,  those  who  would  steer  clear  of  the  vul- 
garities and  irregularities  of  mere  cockneyism  will  do  well  not 
to  permit  anything  of  the  kind  I  have  been  describing  around 
their  houses.  When  composed  of  such  materials  as  shells, 
pieces  of  old  porcelain,  scoria?,  and  other  small,  artificial,  or 
manufactured  articles,  and  interspersed  with  grotesque-looking 
busts,  heads,  &c,  as  is  frequently  the  case,  their  use  in  connex- 
ion with  houses  is  all  the  more  to  be  deprecated.  An  exception 
should  perhaps  be  made  in  favour  of  placing  a  few  stones,  of 
moderate  dimensions,  along  the  base  of  a  house,  or  other  build- 
ing, when  it  is  raised  above  the  ground  level ;  as  these  will 
often  have  the  appearance  of  forming  an  appropriate  part  of 
the  foundation  on  which  the  building  rests.  But  they  must 
neither  be  very  numerous,  nor  extend  far  from  the  wall  of  the 
structure  itself,  otherwise  their  seeming  purpose  will  be  shown 
to  be  a  mere  pretence. 

As  similarly  interfering  with  the  harmony  of  a  place,  the 
employment  of  conspicuous  grottoes,  towers,  summer-houses,  or 
other  buildings,  within  a  short  distance,  or  in  open  view,  from 
the  house,  when  the  style  differs  very  widely  from  it,  or  is  at 
all  extravagant,  cannot  be  defended  on  any  known  principle  in 


TOO   MUCH   PLANTING   ABOUT  THE  HOUSE.  33 

landscape  arrangement ;  one  of  the  first  rules  in  the  art  being 
that  things  brought  into  close  association  should  be  congruous 
and  kindred  in  character.  If  very  sparingly  introduced,  and  of 
a  quiet  appearance,  and  partially  concealed,  architectural 
objects,  though  not  in  the  same  style  as  the  house,  may  be  occa- 
sionally admissible.  It  is  to  the  staring  and  grossly  peculiar 
forms  sometimes  met  with  in  suburban  gardens  that  the  chief 
objection  lies.  A  castellated  grotto,  for  example,  with  the  great- 
est and  most  fantastic  variety  of  outline,  and  numerous  turrets, 
is  occasionally  to  be  seen  from  a  house  either  in  the  Grecian 
or  Italian  form,  or  from  one  of  those  square,  common-place 
erections,  from  which  everything  like  style  is  expressly  omitted. 

3.  The  practice  of  planting  much  immediately  around  ahouse 
is  erroneous  in  other  ways  than  those  yet  pointed  out.  It  pre- 
vents the  true  proportions,  outlines,  and  details  of  a  building 
from  being  properly  seen  and  rightly  appreciated.  If  a  house 
be  well  designed,  it  should  make  a  picture  of  itself,  and  only 
require  the  aid  of  vegetable  forms  at  a  little  distance  from  it, 
as  supports  and  accompaniments.  An  occasional  tree  or  plant 
to  balance  the  several  parts,  to  soften  abrupt  transitions  of  out- 
line, to  sober  and  break  a  glare  of  colour,  or  to  impart  an  air 
of  finish  and  furniture  in  some  cases,  may  be  invaluable ;  and 
even  a  mass  of  trees  or  shrubs  would  often  be  effective  in  blind- 
ing inferior  parts  of  the  building,  or  covering  defects  of  sym- 
metry or  enrichment.  But  where  the  architect  has  thoroughly 
studied  his  subject,  and  treated  it  as  a  picture,  aids  of  this  sort 
will  be  but  little  wanted,  and  should  be  adopted  with  the 
utmost  care  ;  for  there  is  probably  no  one  point  in  landscape 
gardening  wherein  less  of  the  true  feeling  of  art  is  exhibited 
than  in  the  choice  of  accompaniments  to  a  building. 

4.  What  are  commonly  called  belts  of  plantation  are  often 
found  ia  small  places,  and  are  among  the  things  which,  in  gene- 
ral, are  quite  inappropriate.  They  consist  of  strips  of  trees, 
either  of  equal  or  irregular  width,  placed  just  within  the  entire 
boundary,  so  as  to  confine  the  view  wholly  to  the  place  itself. 
They  s^rve,  in  fact,  completely  to  shut  it  in,  by  a  kind  of  green 

2* 


34.  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

wall,  which  effectually  excludes  a  great  deal  of  sunlight  and  air, 
and  all  appearance  of  distance  or  animation.  They  make  the 
garden  a  sort  of  prison,  which  cannot  be  seen  into  by  others, 
and  from  which  not  a  glimpse  of  what  is  passing  without  can 
be  obtained.  Privacy,  no  doubt,  they  may  secure,  but  it  is 
the  privacy  of  the  cell  or  the  cloister ; — a  sort  of  monastic 
seclusion,  which  would  better  befit  the  tenant  of  a  hermitage. 

Nothing  could  be  more  monotonous  than  a  belt  of  plantation, 
in  which  the  trees  are  nearly  all  of  the  same  age,  height,  and 
general  character.  All  variety  of  effect,  and  all  ideas  of  inde- 
finiteness,  are  of  course  out  of  the  question,  under  such  circum- 
stances. To  whatever  part  of  the  garden  we  go,  the  same  hard 
and  uniform  boundary  terminates  the  view.  There  is  no  play 
of  outline,  none  of  that  beautiful  illusion  which  arises  from 
skilful  connexion  with  other  property.  The  cheerfulness  of 
sunlight  is  curtailed,  and  the  healthy  vigour  common  to  plants 
which  have  plenty  of  light  and  air  is  not  to  be  found.  The 
walks  become  green  and  slimy,  and  are  always  more  or  less 
damp ;  while  a  portion  of  the  grass  is  made  feeble  and  sickly, 
or  gradually  dwindles  away  into  mere  mossiness. 

But  the  worst  feature  of  all  these  evils  is  that  they  have 
seldom  any  origin  in  necessity,  and  could  usually  be  obviated. 
There  are  extremely  few  places  so  thoroughly  surrounded  by 
bad  objects,  as  to  allow  of  no  breaks  in  the  boundary,  and  no 
peeps  into  the  country  beyond.  And  even  where  such  is  the 
case,  considerable  diversity  and  interest  may  be  created  by  the 
use  of  plants  of  different  heights  and  habits,  to  act  as  the 
screen.  Indeed,  a  boundary  that  must  necessarily  be  a  barrier 
to  all  further  view  into  the  outlying  country,  may  be  so  con- 
trived and  treated  as  scarcely  to  appear  like  a  boundary  at  all, 
as  I  shall  hereafter  have  occasion  to  show.  I  need  only  add 
here  that  formal,  regular  belts,  especially  where  the  trees  are 
planted  in  rows,  as  they  are  continually  to  be  met  with  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  most  large  towns,  are  in  the  worst  possible 
taste. 

Those  masses  of  trees  or  shrubs  known  as  dmnps,  and  noto- 


BELTS  OF  PLANTATION.  35 

rious  for  their  extreme  clumsiness,  are  a  part  of  the  same 
system  as  belts,  and  alike  open  to  reprobation.  They  are  either 
roundish,  or  of  no  regular  figure ;  nor  can  they  be  called  irre- 
gular. As  generally  used,  they  can  only  be  described  as  large 
spots  or  blots  in  the  landscape,  having  neither  beauty  in  them- 
selves nor  connexion  with  anything  else.  It  is  probable  that 
they  were  originally  intended  as  the  foundation  or  nucleus  of  a 
scattered  group,  merely  filled  up  for  a  time,  to  obtain  protection 
and  greater  rapidity  of  growth.  But  such  objects  might  be  just 
as  well  fulfilled  in  conjunction  with  some  more  indefinite  and 
pleasing  external  outline. 

Narrow  strips  or  lines  of  plantation  are  among  the  most 
tasteless  forms  which  belts  can  assume,  and  are  equally  mean 
and  undignified  wherever  else  they  may  occur.  They  can  so 
readily  be  seen  through,  and  will  frequently  present,  at  the  lower 
parts,  a  mere  assemblage  of  bare  stems.  Their  effect  is  most 
meagre.  They  want  breadth  and  massiveness.  Hence,  when 
plantations  are  necessarily  so  straightened,  they  should  be  com- 
posed mainly  of  such  low-growing  shrubs  and  dwarf-trees, 
especially  evergreens,  as  will,  by  being  planted  tolerably  close, 
and  furnished  down  to  the  ground,  produce  a  thicket-like  charac- 
ter, that  shall  conceal  or  disguise  their  actual  dimensions. 

In  the  subjoined  sketches,  fig.  5  shows  a  narrow  belt  of  trees, 


similar  in  size  and  character,  such  as  is  frequently  seen  round 
the  margins  of  small  parks,  Avhere,  if  undergrowth  of  any  kind 
has  ever  been  planted,  it  has  become  killed  by  the  density  and 
shade  of  the  larger  trees.  Fig.  6  will  serve  as  a  hint  of  the 
way  in  which  such  a  belt  may  be  broken  up,  and  its  form  still 


36 


WHAT  TO  AVOID. 


more  diversified  by  the  use  of  a  few  intermediate  bushes,  such 
as  Thorns  or  Hollies. 


Fig.  6. 


The  same  defect,  rendered,  probably,  a  little  more  manifest 
from  the  superior  beauty  and  variety  of  the  ground  line,  will  be 


Fig.  7. 

apparent  in  fig.  7,  which  exhibits  a  belt  traversing  an  undulating 
surf  ice.    And  the  mode  of  remedying  the  evil  is  partially  indi- 


cated in  fig.  8,  where  the  trees  are  thrown  into  masses  on  the 
slopes  ar.d  summits  of  the  swells  in  the  ground ;  the  hollow 


TOO  GREAT  CONFINEMENT.  37 

being  left  unclothed  for  the  purpose  of  marking  the  full  extent 
of  its  depression. 

5 .  Any  d  escription  of  high  fence  that  confines  a  place  too  much 
is  as  faulty  in  all  essential  resjjects  as  a  belt  of  plantation,  and 
in  some  particulars  even  more  so.  It  has  a  harsher,  more  for- 
bidding, and  exclusive  appearance,  and  its  upper  line  will  neces- 
sarily be  stiffer.  It  gives  an  unkindly  and  inhospitable  expres- 
sion to  a  place.  Besides,  high  close  fences  keep  out  air  more 
than  even  trees,  and  also  produce,  for  a  given  distance,  a  more 
complete  shade.  They  should  never  be  employed  unless  they 
are  really  indispensable,  and  then  they  ought  to  have  the  hard- 
ness of  their  lines  relieved  by  trees  and  shrubs  inside,  or  with 
ivy  or  other  climbers  scrambling  irregularly  over  them.  Those 
sides  of  a  garden  where  shelter  is  required  must,  however,  be 
excepted  from  the  rule ;  though  it  will  generally  be  found  that 
trees  are  a  much  better  screen  for  gardens  than  a  wall,  (unless 
the  latter  be  very  high,)  provided  there  be  breadth  enough  to 
admit  of  a  sufficiently  dense  plantation. 

6.  There  is  an  opposite  extreme  to  that  just  described,  into 
which  some  persons  are  apt  to  fall,  by  rendering  their  gardens 
too  exposed.  Examples  might  be  found  in  which  from  a  love  of 
display,  or  a  disposition  to  give  others  the  benefit  of  whatever 
enjoyment  happens  to  be  possessed,  every  inch  of  the  garden 
is  bared  to  the  public  gaze.  There  is  thus  no  quietude,  no 
retirement,  and  scarcely  any  of  the  pleasure  arising  from  the 
ownership  of  property.  A  lady  or  gentleman  fond  of  gar- 
dening cannot  engage  in  any  of  its  pursuits  without  attracting 
general  notice ;  dogs  and  other  animals  will  have  the  run  of 
the  place ;  and  the  luxury  of  cherishing  song-birds  must  be 
relinquished,  for  they  will  not  frequent  a  garden  that  is  so 
unsheltered. 

Nor  is  this  all.  Every  beautiful  flower  that  unfolds  itself,  or 
shrub  that  spreads  out  its  attractive  berries  about  Christmas 
time,  affords  so  many  temptations  to  pilfering  for  the  passers- 
by,  among  whom  there  will  ordinarily  be  some,  at  least,  who 
will  be  unable  to  resist  the  inducement ;  and  the  mortification 


38  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

of  seeing  the  choicest  and  most  admired  favourites  thus  stolen 
will  be  frequently  incurred. 

Besides  this,  a  too  open  boundary  fence  is  undesirable  as  a 
matter  of  taste.  It  exhibits  the  limits  of  the  place  too  clearly, 
and  will,  in  most  cases,  show  public  roads,  fences  to  other  pro- 
perty, buildings,  &c,  that  should  rather  be  concealed.  It  reveals 
what  is  beyond  the  place  in  too  broad  and  expanded  views, 
which  are,  unless  in  very  peculiar  circumstances,  not  nearly  so 
interesting  and  effective  as  narrower  ones,  apart  even  from  the 
consideration  of  the  former  often  exhibiting  what  is  not  wanted 
to  be  seen ;  and  it  lays  bare  the  life  and  bustle  of  the  highway 
too  glaringly  and  thoroughly,  instead  of  in  mere  glimpses,  and 
at  broken  intervals. 

As  a  question  of  convenience,  too,  a  very  open  fence  is  equally 
to  be  avoided,  when,  as  is  all  along  assumed,  it  is  not  covered, 
or  partially  covered,  from  within  by  shrubs  and  trees.  It 
admits  winds  too  freely ;  and  there  is  as  little  screen  afforded 
by  it  from  the  wreather  as  there  is  from  the  observation  of  pas- 
sengers ;  partial  protection  from  the  winds  being  one  of  the  most 
important  conditions  in  a  good  garden.  It  likewise  allows  all 
the  dust  from  the  outside  road  to  enter  a  place  in  summer,  and 
thus  the  shrubs  and  flowers  become  soiled,  and  the  whole  garden 
dirty  and  uncomfortable.  It  further  interposes  no  deadening  or 
softening  influence  to  the  harsh  and  disagreeable  noise  of  traftic 
on  a  highway ;  the  rumble  of  vehicles,  or  the  still  more  grating 
sound  of  the  rude  or  obscene  jest  and  vulgar  quarrel. 

7.  Where  a  garden  is  to  be  made  on  land  that  has  been 
planted  at  some  previous  period,  and  trees  of  considerable  magni- 
tude exist  upon  it,  especial  care  should  be  used  in  reference  to 
the  removal  of  any  of  these,  so  as  not  to  render  the  place  too 
open  and  bare ;  for  where  fine  trees  are  known  to  have  stood, 
an  air  of  nakedness  and  poverty  of  the  higher  forms  of  vegeta- 
tion will  be  all  the  more  manifest  and  displeasing.  There  is  no 
subject  on  which  greater  deliberation  is  demanded  than  the 
cutting  down  or  removal  of  large  trees,  as  nothing  changes  the 
character  of  a  place  more. 


INCONGRUOUS  MIXTURE  OF  STYLES.         39 

8.  The  adoption  of  too  great  a  mixture  of  styles  in  gardens  is 
an  error  that  should  be  specially  guarded  against.  It  is  the 
source  of  numberless  little  incongruities  and  improprieties ;  and 
although,  where  the  space  is  very  small,  it  may  be  somewhat 
difficult  to  attain  any  style  at  all,  yet  a  mixture  of  the  formal 
and  the  free,  the  decorated  and  the  simple,  the  picturesque  and 
the  polished,  is  sometimes  seen  attempted,  and  with  the  worst 
effects.  Straight  and  regular  lines  can  rarely  be  blended  with 
curved  and  flowing  ones ;  nor  can  rough  and  broken  forms  be 
fitly  associated  with  such  as  are  smooth  and  graceful.  Things 
which  have  no  affinity  in  their  character,  or  expression,  should 
not,  except  in  very  rare  and  peculiar  instances,  be  brought  into 
conjunction. 

9.  Unsuitable  ornaments  are  things  which  many  persons  who 
have  only  a  glimmering  of  the  requirements  of  art  have  a  great 
propensity  for  placing  about  gardens.  These  may  be  of  the 
nature  of  artificial  basins  of  water,  ponds,  figures,  bridges,  flag- 
poles, prospect-towers,  cannon,  groups  of  stones,  spar,  or  roots, 
with  objects  of  a  similar  nature,  which  may  or  may  not  be 
fitting  ornaments  for  a  garden  in  themselves,  but  which  may 
be  so  inappropriately  disposed,  or  so  entirely  unallied  to  the 
prevailing  characteristics  of  a  particular  spot,  as  to  be  wholly 
inadmissible.  In  some  few  cases  it  may  happen  that  the  vul- 
garity or  the  ugliness  of  an  individual  object  offends  the  eye  of 
taste ;  but  a  much  more  common  cause  for  complaint  exists  in 
the  passion  for  scraping  together  all  sorts  of  good  or  indifferent 
things,  without  adequate  regard  being  paid  to  their  affinity  to 
each  other,  or  their  suitableness  for  the  place  in  which  they  are 
deposited. 

10.  The  making  arrangements  in  the  plan  of  a  place  for 
occasioning  to  visitors  one  or  more  little  surprises  as  they  are 
passing  round  the  garden,  is,  if-much  effort  be  bestowed  upon  it, 
and  better  objects  sacrificed  for  its  accomplishment,  extremely 
unsatisfactory  at  best.  It  is  an  appeal  to  the  lowest  species 
of  admiration  ;  and  all  the  pleasure  it  may  occasion  is  but 
momentary,  and  can  never  be  renewed  to  the  same  individual. 


40  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

When  on  a  small  scale,  too,  the  machinery  by  which  the  effect 
is  produced  will  be  always  too  apparent.  Solid  merits  and 
substantial  beauties  are  much  to  be  preferred ;  for  the  pleasure 
to  be  derived  from  them  never  ceases,  and  does  not  satiate. 
An  ingenious  trick,  to  minister  a  little  excitement  and  noveltv, 
may  be  very  amusing,  and  even  useful,  if  occasionally  practised, 
and  with  materials  capable  of  being  otherwise  employed  imme- 
diately afterwards;  but  a  thing  of  this  sort  assumes  a  new  and 
far  inferior  character  if  intended  to  be  permanent.  It  can  only 
amuse  once,  and  will  ever  afterwards  be  looked  upon  as  silly 
and  weak,  unless  it  aim  at  higher  ends  than  simple  astonish- 
ment. 

11.  From  a  similar  cause,  all  manner  of  eccentricities  in  a 
garden  will,  if  they  have  nothing  better  to  boast  of,  never 
tbtain  lasting  admiration;  and,  as  in  personal  character,  are 
more  generally  the  evidences  of  a  feeble  mind,  than  of  the 
possession  of  genius.  In  the  vagaries  of  genius,  however  wild, 
there  is  often  something  of  consistency,  and  always  more  or  less 
of  brilliancy,  to  compensate  for  the  accompanying  follies.  But 
in  the  extravagances  which  ordinary  minds  commit,  we  see  all 
the  faults,  without  any  of  the  redeeming  qualities ;  and  man- 
kind are  little  inclined  to  be  charitable  towards  those  who  think 
themselves  so  far  elevated  above  the  mass  as  to  be  entitled  to 
set  established  rules  and  proprieties  at  defiance.  It  is  far  safer, 
therefore,  and  more  conducive  to  that  impartation  of  pleasure 
to  others  which  all  seek  or  profess  to  wish  for,  to  keep  only  in 
the  beaten  track,  and  strive  after  excellences  which  are  suffi- 
ciently known  and  acknowledged.  Enough  of  freshness  and 
originality  to  satisfy  any  reasonably  active  mind,  may  easily 
be  attained  by  new  combinations  of  the  ever-varying  materials 
of  nature,  without  striving  to  jumble  together  things  that  can 
have  no  possible  correspondence  or  relationship. 

Everything  partaking  of  the  nature  of  a  sham,  also,  that  is 
wanting  in  real  excellence,  will  be  discarded  by  persons  desiring 
to  obtain  credit  for  correct  taste.  Artificial  ruins,  mere  fronts 
to  buildings,  figures  to  represent  animals,  bridges  that  have  no 


EXTREME  REGULARITY  OF  PLAN.         41 

meaning,  or  for  which  there  is  no  necessity,  or  any  other  merely 
artificial  representations  of  natural  or  other  objects,  where  the 
aim  and  intention  are  to  induce  the  belief  that  they  are  really 
natural,  will  commonly  be  despised  when  the  trick  is  discovered. 

12.  As  an  abstract  rule,  extreme  formality  or  regularity  of 
arrangement  is  by  no  means  suitable  for  a  small  garden. 
Straight  lines  require  length  to  show  them  to  advantage  ;  and 
regular  figures  demand  some  breadth  of  surface  to  exhibit  them 
in  their  proper  proportions.  A  place  that  is  laid  out  in  a 
formal  manner,  will,  unless  very  extensive,  always  look  smaller 
than  it  really  is,  and  very  much  less  than  one  treated  in  a  more 
irregular  and  natural  way.  The  walks,  too,  are  necessarily 
much  more  obtruded ;  and  the  whole  scene  presents  little  or 
no  variety.  It  is  well,  therefore,  to  reject  this  kind  of  style  as 
much  as  possible,  in  dealing  with  small  areas,  and  to  adopt  one 
more  fitted  to  make  the  most  of  the  space.  In  extremely 
narrow  strips  of  land,  where  the  entire  surface  is  taken  in  at 
the  merest  glance,  simple  figures  and  right  lines  may,  perhaps, 
be  preferable,  as  exhibiting  less  of  pretension.  But  where  the 
dimensions  are  greater,  and  yet  inconsiderable,  the  reverse  of 
this  will  hold  good ;  the  use  of  straight  walks  having  a  more 
ambitious  look  than  those  of  a  serpentine  form. 

1 3 .  Large  geometrical  figures,  unless  they  embrace  the  whole 
garden,  are  never  satisfactory ;  nor  even  then  without  being 
kept  extremely  simple.  The  more  their  parts  are  multiplied, 
the  more  destructive  they  are  to  dignity,  and  breadth,  and 
repose.  Flower  gardens,  therefore,  and  other  separate  parts 
of  a  place,  when  geometrically  laid  out  in  close  beds,  and  put 
in  the  front  of  the  house,  should  bear  but  a  small  proportion  to 
the  rest  of  the  garden,  or  they  will  annihilate  all  semblance  of 
extent.  At  least  two-thirds  of  the  length  of  the  lawn,  measuring 
away  from  the  house,  should  be  free  from  such  innovations. 
And  if  three-fourths,  or  even  five-sixths,  of  it  be  unencumbered 
in  this  manner,  there  will  be  a  greater  harmony  of  parts. 

Two  exceptions  to  the  application  of  this  doctrine  may  pro- 
bably be  admitted.    Where  a  rich  pastured  country,  sufficiently 


42  WHAT  TO    AVOID. 

spotted  with  timber  trees,  lies  in  front  of  a  place,  and,  by  the 
skilful  treatment  of  the  boundary  fence,  appears  to  belong  to 
the  owner,  a  strictly  formal  plan  of  the  garden  may  be  effec- 
tive. And  the  same  remark  will  apply  where  a  very  pictures- 
que and  rugged  piece  of  natural  scenery  joins  on  to  a  place. 

14.  Akin  to  the  style  just  condemned,  in  its  relation  to 
moderate-sized  gardens,  is  a  certain  baldness  and  plainness, 
which  may  likewise  exist  under  different  modes  of  arrangement, 
and  which,  more  than  almost  any  other  characteristic,  contri- 
butes to  make  a  place  appear  poor  and  uninteresting.  Where 
the  space  will  at  all  justify  it — and  it  must  be  restricted  indeed 
if  it  will  not  do  so, — the  walks  and  plants  can  be  so  disposed  as 
to  afford  as  many  different  views  as  possible.  From  no  single 
point,  unless  it  be  an  elevated  one,  should  every  part  be  seen. 
A  lawn  need  not  be  like  a  bowling-green,  with  a  simple  fringe 
of  plantation ;  but  should  have  a  variety  of  minor  glades  and 
recesses,  that  are  only  to  be  discovered  and  examined  from 
particular  points.  Bareness  is  nearly  as  faulty  as  meretricious- 
ness  of  ornament.  Indeed,  of  the  two  extremes,  it  may  be 
questionable  whether  elaboration  is  not  the  smaller  evil.  There 
is  a  want  of  cultivation  and  means, — a  dearth  of  invention,  and 
a  marked  absence  of  all  attachment  for  a  garden,  in  the  one 
case ;  while  the  other  only  displays  an  ingenuity  that  might 
have  been  highly  creditable  if  better  regulated,  and  a  zeal  that 
is  in  itself  good,  but  simply  calls  for  a  little  judicious  restraint. 

Monotony  of  character  may  likewise  often  be  deepened  and 
confirmed  by  the  endeavour  to  bring  the  whole  of  the  garden 
too  much  into  one  level  or  slope.  In  the  formal  style,  some 
approximation  to  flatness  is  positively  required.  But  for  irre- 
gular gardens,  with  broken  groups,  and  serpentine  walks,  any 
natural  undulations,  or  even  some  little  attempt  at  artificial 
variety  of  surface,  will,  if  softly  and  appropriately  finished  off, 
be  a  decided  improvement  to  a  garden.  It  is  customary,  how- 
ever, for  persons  who  do  not  study  the  subject  to  commence 
laying  out  their  gardens  by  making  all  the  ground  as  level  as 
possible.     A  more  unfortunate  error  could  not  be  fallen  into  ; 


VERY  SHORT  CARRIAGE-DRIVES.  43 

for  character  might  be  better  obtained  by  changes  of  level  than 
by  almost  any  other  similar  means. 

15.  In  the  treatment  of  a  small  place,  it  is  further  expedient 
to  reject  everything  that  has  an  air  of  ostentation,  or  appears 
only  proper  to  more  extensive  domains.  In  many  instances, 
therefore,  a  carriage-drive  to  the  house,  although  often  very 
convenient,  would  not  accord  with  the  limits  of  a  garden,  and 
is  consequently  better  omitted.  No  positive  rule  as  to  what 
length  of  approach  would  justify  the  use  of  a  drive  can  belaid 
down ;  but,  in  general,  it  should  be  at  least  thirty  or  forty 
yards.  The  extent  of  the  entire  place  will,  however,  be  the 
best  guide. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  carriage-drive  not  only 
looks  assuming,  but  it  tends  greatly  to  reduce  the  size  of  a 
small  garden,  by  cutting  "it  up  so  much,  and  exhibiting  so  large 
a  portion  of  it  in  gravel.  From  the  peculiar  colour  of  the 
latter,  it  always  deceives  the  eye  as  to  the  extent  of  surface  it 
covers  ;  an  area  of  gravel  never  appearing  nearly  so  large  as 
one  of  equal  dimensions  laid  down  in  grass.  Green  is  at  once 
more  conspicuous,  and  more  agreeable  to  the  sight.  And  grass 
possesses  these  qualities  at  all  seasons.  Hence,  to  make  the 
most  of  a  place,  as  to  size,  broad  masses  of  gravel  should,  if 
possible,  be  kept  out  of  a  cottage  or  villa  garden. 

Where  a  house  is  sufficiently  contiguous  to  the  high  road, 
and  its  general  character  warrants  such  an  appendage,  an 
entrance  court,  treated  architecturally,  and  with  proper  accom- 
paniments, may  be  an  excellent  substitute  for  a  short  drive ; 
and,  in  this  ease,  a  large  gravelled  area,  with,  perhaps,  bold 
margins  of  grass,  a  few  evergreens,  and  some  climbing  plants 
here  and  there  scrambling  over  the  walls,  would  be  wholly 
unobjectionable. 

A  carriage-^rive  that  would  pass  the  windows  of  any  of  the 
principal  rooms  of  a  house,  or  terminate  nearly  in  front  of  them, 
would  be  still  more  exposed  to  the  objections  here  urged.  For 
callers  or  visitors  to  have  to  pass  the  windows  of  sitting-rooms 
is  always  an  undesirable  arrangement ;  though  this  has  some- 


44  WHAT  TO  AVOID. 

times  to  be  tolerated,  from  a  variety  of  considerations.  But 
the  evil  is  much  aggravated  when  such  an  approach  is  one  for 
vehicles  also,  and  servants  as  well  as  friends  have  thus  the  free 
use  of  it.  Of  course  this  will  depend  very  much  on  the  arrange- 
ment of  the  house,  the  correct  position  of  the  entrance-door 
being  a  matter  frequently  overlooked  by  architects. 

16.  Some  gardens  are,  moreover,  so  contracted,  or  of  such  a 
peculiar  shape,  that  the  appropriation  of  any  part  of  them  to 
vegetables  or  fruits  appears  quite  inconsistent  with  the  attain- 
ment of  any  kind  of  beauty  in  the  ornamental  portions.  And, 
in  such  instances,  the  kitchen  department  may  very  properly  be 
omitted.  A  mere  scrap  or  corner  of  kitchen  garden,  which  only 
serves  to  mar  the  general  design,  can  afford  no  real  pleasure ; 
and  the  conveniences  it  would  supply  are  commonly  otherwise 
and  easily  attainable.  The  propriety  of  devoting  a  piece  of 
ground  to  these  purposes  will,  however,  depend  more  on  the 
general  figure  of  the  land,  and  the  position  and  arrangement  of 
the  house,  than  on  the  mere  size  of  the  plot.  If  the  ground 
lies  entirely  in  front  of  the  principal  windows,  and  is  but 
narrow,  a  kitchen  garden  would  seem  inadmissible,  in  point 
of  taste  ;  the  front  of  a  house  appearing  to  demand  only  orna- 
mental and  pleasurable  accompaniments.  Besides,  kitchen 
gardens  are  usually  by  no  means  so  profitable  as  they  are 
thought  to  be,  and  must  be  regarded  more  as  a  luxury  than 
a  source  of  saving.  Vegetables  can,  in  most  cases,  be  purchased 
more  cheaply  than  they  can  be  grown ;  and  it  is  merely  for 
securing  their  freshness,  and  the  pleasure  of  having  reared 
them,  that  a  kitchen  garden  is  worth  consideration.  Herbs  and 
salads  are  alone  of  any  real  consequence,  since  it  is  very  con- 
venient to  have  these  at  hand  for  any  emergency ;  and  they 
can  ordinarily  be  put  in  some  quiet  corner  of  the  grounds,  where 
they  will  not  obtrude  on  the  attention. 


PAKT  III. 


WHAT  TO  ATTAIN. 


In  proceeding  to  the  various  points  which  the  designer  of  a 
garden  should  endeavour  to  compass,  as  far  as  the  nature  of  the 
locality  and  other  unavoidable  conditions  will  allow,  it  may  be 
well  to  premise  that  any  rules  here  furnished  can  only  be  of 
general  application.  It  is  obviously  impossible  to  lay  down 
principles  which  shall  embrace  every  variety  of  case ;  and  hence 
some  who  practise  landscape  gardening  depend  mainly  on  their 
eye,  both  in  creating  and  judging  of  artificial  scenery.  Doubt- 
less, too,  there  is  much  in  almost  every  garden  which  requires  it 
to  be  treated  peculiarly,  in  some  way  or  other ;  the  outline  and 
surface  of  the  plot,  the  position,  arrangement,  and  aspects  of 
the  house,  and  the  requirements  of  the  owner,  having  mostly 
something  in  them  different  from  what  they  are  in  any  other 
place,  and  consequently  needing  a  corresponding  difference  of 
treatment.  And  it  is  in  the  skilful  use  and  blending  of  these 
various  objects  and  purposes  that  the  art  of  the  landscape 
gardener  consists.  In  reference,  therefore,  to  such  circum- 
stances, general  rules  would  seem,  at  first  sight,  to  be  of  little 
use,  or  an  actual  disadvantage ;  embarrassing  and  encumbering 
rather  than  aiding  the  practitioner. 

But  the  advantage  of  fixed  principles,  even  in  the  most  un- 
common and  complex  examples,  will  only  be  overlooked  on  a 
cursory  view.  Closer  observation  will  always  show  that,  al- 
though there  may  be  cases  in  which  no  recognised  law  could  be 
carried  out  in  its  naked  simplicity,  yet  that  some  modification 


46  WHAT  TO  ATTAIN. 

or  mixture  of  one  or  more  rules  must  be  adopted,  in  order  to 
produce  any  really  good  effect ;  and  that,  while  such  a  result 
may  be  accomplished  by  accident,  it  is  far  easier,  and  more 
satisfactory,  to  attain  it  by  design.  In  what  follows,  then,  most 
of  the  rules  given  will  be  found  more  or  less  applicable  to  all 
gardens  of  the  class  treated  of;  though  they  will  often  require 
much  consideration,  and  some  ability,  to  adapt  them  to  parti- 
cular localities.  It  will,  however,  be  a  primary  aim  to  render 
them  as  suited  as  is  possible  to  the  condition  of  the  mass  of 
those  likely  to  consult  them. 


SIMPLICITY.  47 


CHAPTER  I. 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

1 .  Simplicity,  with  some  degree  of  intricacy,  are,  perhaps, 
the  first  things  to  be  aimed  at  in  laying  out  a  garden.  In  the 
absence  of  the  one,  there  can,  in  a  small  space,  be  no  indica- 
tion of  refined  taste ;  and  without  the  other,  no  permanent 
pleasure  will  be  experienced.  Seemingly  anomalous  as  they 
are,  they  may  yet  be  made  perfectly  compatible.  A  design 
may  be  essentially  simple,  without  being  bald  or  severe  ;  and 
intricate,  without  becoming  labyrinthine.  Simplicity  is  the 
opposite  of  ostentation  and  extravagance ;  intricacy,  of  mere 
blankness.  Simplicity  is  the  offspring  of  the  highest  taste, 
and  is  a  prime  element  in  pure  beauty.  Not  that  it  altogether 
characterises  the  beauty  which  is,  "when  unadorned,  adorned 
the  most."  For  it  is  perfectly  consistent  with  some  degree 
of  chaste  ornament. 

A  garden  should  have  more  or  less  simplicity,  according  to 
its  size  and  character,  in  its  main  outlines,  arrangements,  and 
furniture.  The  transitions  in  it  should  all  be  easy  and  flowing, 
the  lines  all  graceful,  the  decorations  elegant.  Very  rarely 
will  a  small  garden  bear  being  furnished  with  any  striking 
evidences  of  wealth,  or  luxury,  or  elaboration.  The  hand  of 
art  should  touch  it  so  lightly  as  to  leave  few  traces  of  its  ope- 
rations. Its  forms  and  figures  ought  all  to  be  gently  rounded 
off",  and  unite  softly  with  each  other.  Lawn  and  gravel,  shrub, 
tree,  and  flower,  with  all  the  less  common  and  more  costly 
appendages,  must  appear  to  belong  to  one  another,  and  to  fit 
into  the  place  in  which  they  occur. 

2.  At  the  same  time,  the  intricacy  which  arises  from  a  par- 


48  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

tial  and  pleasing  involution  of  parts,  from  slight  and  insensible 
changes,  and  from  that  artful  arrangement  of  single  plants  and 
groups  which  produces  freshness  of  aspect  and  newness  of  vista 
from  so  many  different  points  of  view,  must  not  be  neglected. 
For  a  garden  may  be  all  that  is  correct,  and  tasteful,  and  clas- 
sical, and  yet,  like  a  well-moulded  countenance,  prove  dull, 
tame,  and  void  of  expression.  It  is  play  of  feature, — a  some- 
thing behind  and  beyond  which  has  not  been  explored, — 
novelty  of  expression,  variation  of  aspect,  an  alluring  attrac- 
tion onwards  after  higher  beauties, — that  constitutes,  in  both 
instances,  the  life,  the  sjririt,  and  the  charm.  Intricacy  is,  in 
fact,  the  very  soul  of  landscape-gardening. 

3.  Convenience  is  likewise  a  thing  which  requires  to  be  duly 
studied  and  provided  for.  As,  in  a  house,  a  beautiful  exterior 
will  never  compensate  for  defective  internal  accommodation,  so, 
with  a  garden,  the  most  perfectly  tasteful  disposition  of  parts 
will  never  give  real  satisfaction,  if  comfort  and  convenience  have 
been  sacrificed.  It  must  be  remembered  that  a  garden  is  in- 
tended not  merely  to  be  looked  at  from  the  windows  of  a  house, 
or  the  elevation  of  a  terrace-walk,  but  to  be  used  and  to  be 
enjoyed.  The  walks  should  therefore  pass  as  easily  and  as 
directly  to  their  appointed  object  as  can  well  be  accomplished, 
and  they  should  be  dry  in  wTet  weather,  and  smooth  during 
drought.  The  land  must  also  be  well-drained,  so  as  to  be 
capable  of  being  worked  or  walked  upon  at  all  times.  Every 
feature  of  interest  ought  always  to  be  comfortably  accessible. 
A  flower-garden  and  a  greenhouse  should  be  near  or  adjoining 
the  house,  for  the  sake  of  affording  the  family  ready  means  of 
examining  or  gathering  the  flowers.  A  kitchen-garden  should 
also  not  be  far  from  the  kitchen,  that  the  produce  may  be  con- 
veyed to  the  latter  with  little  labour,  and  without  attracting 
observation.  It  should  further  be  placed  near  the  stable-yard, 
that  manure  may  be  soon  removed  from  the  one  to  the  other. 
And,  when  practicable,  a  kitchen-garden  may,  on  one  side  at 
least,  abut  upon  a  road  or  lane,  that  soil,  manure,  &c,  may  be 
carted  to  it  at  any  time. 


COMPACTNESS.  49 

Places  for  preserving  tools  and  depositing  rubbish,  and  means 
for  obtaining  water  when  required,  back  paths  or  roads  to  the 
kitchen  and  offices,  space  for  drying  linen,  if  it  can  be  afforded, 
lengthened  walks  round  a  paddock  for  exercise,  with  an  arbour 
or  summer-house  in  it  for  shelter  from  showers  or  storms,  and 
for  reading  and  retirement  at  other  periods,  are  some  of  the 
various  conveniences  which  should  be  taken  into  account  in 
laying  out  a  place  ;  especially  as  many  of  them  cannot  be 
obtained  at  all  unless  they  are  secured  in  the  first  instance. 

4.  In  order  still  further  to  attain  the  full  advantage  of  con- 
venience to  economise  space  and  labour,  and  to  make  everything 
appear  orderly  and  well-contrived,  compactness  of  arrangement 
will  be  particularly  influential.  Nothing  tends  more  to  exhibit 
a  want  of  design,  or  to  produce  general  slovenliness,  than  a 
scattered  and  ill-considered  disposal  of  the  different  parts  of  a 
place.  Each  department  that  is  connected  with  another — and 
all  should  be  but  parts  of  a  combined  whole — ought  not  merely 
to  adjoin  but  to  fit  into  its  neighbouring  department,  so  that  no 
space  may  be  lost,  and  no  untidy  corners  created,  and  no  unne- 
cessary expenditure  in  the  erection  of  walls  or  other  divisions 
occasioned.  In  fact  each  wall  or  fence  in  the  interior  of  a  place 
should,  if  possible,  be  made  to  serve  a  double  purpose,  and  act 
as  a  boundary  to  two  separate  compartments,  or  form  a  part  of 
two  distinct  sets  of  building.  Thus,  the  wall  on  the  north  side 
of  a  kitchen-garden  may  be  made  to  constitute  one  of  the  fences 
to  a  house-yard,  a  garden-yard,  a  stable-court,  and  even  a  small 
farm-yard ;  while  the  back  of  such  a  wall  might  also  be  used  to 
support  various  low  lean-to  sheds,  that  may  happen  to  be  needed 
in  either  of  these  yards. 

5.  Few  characteristics  of  a  garden  contribute  more  to  render 
it  agreeable  than  snugness  and  seclusion.  They  serve  to  make  it 
appear  peculiarly  one's  own,  converting  it  into  a  kind  of  sanctum. 
A  place  that  has  neither  of  these  qualities  might  almost  as  well 
be  public  property.  Those  who  love  their  garden  often  want  to 
walk,  work,  ruminate,  read,  romp,  or  examine  the  various  changes 
and  developments  of  Nature  in  it ;  and  to  do  so  unobserved. 

3 


50  GENERAL    PRINCIPLES. 

All  that  attaches  us  to  a  garden,  and  renders  it  a  delightful  and 
cherished  object,  seems  dashed  and  marred  if  it  has  no  privacy. 
It  is  a  luxury  to  walk,  sit,  or  recline  at  ease,  on  a  summer's  day, 
and  drink  in  the  sights  and  sounds  and  perfumes  peculiar  to  a 
garden,  without  fear  of  interruption ;  or  of  dress,  or  attitude,  or 
occupation  being  observed  and  criticised. 

Something  more,  however,  than  mere  privacy  is  involved  in 
the  idea  of  snugness.  It  includes  shelter,  warmth,  shade; 
agreeable  seats  for  rest,  arbours  for  a  rural  meal,  and  velvety 
slopes  of  turfj  overshadowed  or  variously  chequered  by  foliage, 
to  recline  upon.  A  room  that  may  fitly  be  called  snug  is  small 
in  its  dimensions,  and  rather  amply  furnished,  with  its  window 
not  open  at  any  point  to  the  public  gaze.  A  garden,  likewise, 
to  deserve  the  same  epithet,  should  have  its  principal  or  subor- 
dinate parts  of  rather  contracted  limits,  be  furnished  somewhat 
liberally  with  tall-growing  plants  and  trees,  which  will  produce 
some  degree  of  shade,  and  present  an  air  of  comparative 
isolation. 

Where  there  is  sufficient  extent,  it  is  probably  better  to  have 
one  or  more  small  nooks,  or  partially  detached  gardens  of  a  par- 
ticular kind,  to  realize  something  of  both  snugness  and  seclusion, 
and  give  the  leading  and  broader  portions  of  the  garden  a  more 
airy  and  open  character.  Still,  in  any  case,  unless  it  be  purely 
for  show,  a  certain  amount  of  privacy  ought  assuredly  to  be 
sought  after.  And  the  more  thoroughly  it  is  gained,  the  more 
pleasurable  to  most  persons,  mid  the  more  accordant  with  good 
taste,  will  be  the  entire  production. 

6.  Unity  and  con  grid  ty  of  parts  are,  probably,  among  the 
easiest  things  to  attend  to,  yet  the  most  seldom  attained.  Curved 
walks  alon^  the  front  of  a  house, — figures,  vases,  and  other 
architectural  ornaments  in  a  different  style  to  that  of  the  prin- 
cipal building, — straight  walks  passing  off  obliquely  from  other 
straight  ones,  or  even  curved  lines  issuing  from  or  crossing 
straight  ones  at  an  oblique  angle, — a  mixture  of  general  styles  of 
treatment, — gay  roses  or  honeysuckles  twining  around  funereal 
pillars  or  urns, — the  most  sombre-looking  plants  placed  against  a 


UNITY  AND  CONGBUITY.  51 

building  in  a  florid  style  of  architecture, — the  commonest  green- 
houses tacked  on  to  structures  of  some  pretension  as  to  correct- 
ness and  purity  of  manner; — these,  and  a  variety  of  similar 
incongruities,  are  most  abundant  and  conspicuous  in  gardens. 

Taste,  on  the  other  hand,  demands  that  there  should  be  a 
perfect  harmony  between  the  various  portions  of  a  garden,  both 
with  respect  to  each  other  and  to  its  buildings.  Every  structure 
ought  to  have  its  appropriate  garden  fittings,  to  impart  or 
preserve  to  it  its  proper  expression.  The  part  just  around  a 
house  should  be  treated  somewhat  architecturally  or  formally; 
and  the  transitions  from  this  to  the  more  distant  portions  of  a 
garden,  and  from  these  again  to  the  field,  and  so  on  to  the 
surrounding  country,  be  gradual  and  almost  imperceptible. 
xVnd  where  any  sort  of  rusticity  or  picturesqueness  is  wished  for, 
or  some  other  feature  essentially  distinct  from  those  which 
characterise  the  garden  generally,  such  pieces  ought  to  be 
separated  from  the  rest  by  a  well-marked  though  inartificial 
division,  so  that  the  two  are  not  seen  together. 

Connexion  and  order  are  the  laws  of  universal  nature,  and 
can  seldom  be  safely  infringed  by  art.  Contrast,  it  is  true, 
may  sometimes  be  admitted  into  a  garden,  and  will  occasionally 
be  very  effective ;  but  it  is  available  chiefiy  in  small  1  natters  of 
detail,  such  as  the  colours  of  leaves  and  flowers,  the  habits  of 
plants,  their  heights,  &c.  Harmony  in  other  things  is  of  far 
more  consequence.  It  is  the  only  true  foundation  of  greatness 
or  excellence.  To  have  several  notable  characteristics,  or  to  per- 
form many  things  well,  falls  to  the  lot  of  very  few  individuals ; 
and  a  garden  that  affects  to  have  more  than  one  marked  expres- 
sion or  tone,  is  too  frequently  a  failure.  Unity,  however,  and  a 
well-balanced  and  well-blended  adjustment  of  parts,  impart  to  it 
a  weight  of  character  and  a  dignity  of  aspect  which  are  sure,  in 
the  end,  to  win  for  it  esteem.  That  which  is  really  good  and 
tasteful,  while  it  is  certain  to  obtain  the  approbation  of  those 
capable  of  judging  it,  will  quite  as  surely  at  some  period,  how- 
ever remote,  secure  the  suffrages  of  the  multitude.  An  inferior 
object,  on  the  contrary,  may  please  for  a  time,  but  will  speedily 


52  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

grow  distasteful.    It  is  only  for  true  beauty  that  a  lasting  and 
general  relish  is  excited. 

7.  Isolation  of  parts  and  ornaments  is  the  converse  of  con- 
nexion, and  would  be  quite  alien  to  all  beauty.  Garden  de- 
corations mostly  require  supporting.  Nakedness  is  commonly 
repulsive  to  right  feeling  in  art ;  drapery,  furniture,  and  accom- 
paniments being  demanded.  The  bare  outline  of  a  plantation,  or 
a  solitary  specimen  or  group,  will  appear  harsh  and  out  of  joint. 
Openings  or  glades,  that  are  perfectly  simple  or  unfurnished, 
also  present  a  certain  hardness  and  severance  of  parts.  They 
look  like  mere  gaps.  It  is  in  the  artistic  distribution  of  plants 
and  groups,  so  as  to  do  away  with  continuity  of  lines,  and  blend 
perceptibly  each  individual  object  with  all  the  rest,  that  the 
highest  power  of  a  garden  or  other  scene  will  reside. 

8.  That  a  palpable  attention  to  symmetry  should  distinguish 
gardens  laid  out  in  a  formal  manner,  no  one  will  now  be 
forward  to  dispute.  The  ridicule  conveyed  in  the  well-known 
couplet, — 

"  Grove  nods  at  grove,  each  alley  has  a  brother, 
And  half  the  platform  just  reflects  the  other;" — 

is,  though  widely  circulated,  and  often  revived,  by  no  means  to 
be  admitted  as  the  "  test  of  truth."  Such  gardens  would  be 
nothing  unless  the  nicest  balance  was  preserved.  Symmetry 
and  regularity  are  their  very  essence,  as  well  as  that  of  archi- 
tecture, on  which  they  are  founded ;  for  in  good  models  of  the 
most  irregular  buildings,  the  truest  adjustment  of  parts  is 
strictly  observed.  There  should  also  be  a  beautiful  balance 
maintained,  however  subtile  and  disguised  it  may  be,  in  the  pro- 
portions of  every  garden,  whatever  be  its  style.  Not  that  the 
same  description  of  objects,  placed  in  similar  positions,  should 
be  found  on  the  opposite  sides  of  gardens,  but  that  their  general 
effect  should  be  that  one  side  is,  as  a  whole,  about  equal  to  the 
other  in  height  and  breadth;  or,  at  least,  that  such  an  im- 
pression should  remain  on  the  mind  of  any  one  glancing  over 
the  two. 


GRADATION   OF   PARTS.  53 

9.  Gradation,  or  the  agreeable  transition  of  one  part  of  a 
garden  into  the  other,  without  any  decided  breaks,  or  marked 
interference  with  harmony,  should  always  be  striven  after,  as  it 
will  enable  the  designer  to  use  parts  of  different  styles  and  a 
variety  of  ornaments,  and  yet  preserve  enough  of  consistency 
and  smoothness.  But  the  gradation  to  which  I  would  most 
directly  advert  is  that  which  treats  the  different  parts  of  a  place 
as  so  many  ascending  steps,  until  the  highest  and  best  points 
are  reached.  As,  in  a  house,  the  exterior  should  be  but  little 
decorated,  the  vestibule  or  porch  plain,  the  hall  only  a  trifle 
more  ornate,  and  the  various  rooms  more  and  more  enriched, 
till  the  saloon  or  drawing-room,  which  is  the  most  showy  of  all, 
is  arrived  at ;  so,  in  the  out-door  domain,  the  exterior  look, 
while  unexceptionable,  should  be  quiet  and  by  no  means  attrac- 
tive, the  approach  private  and  not  adorned  with  flowers,  the 
pleasure  garden  a  little  more  enriched,  and  the  front  of  the 
house,  with  its  lawn  and  flower-beds  or  flower  garden,  be  in 
the  very  highest  style  of  art  and  beauty.  It  may,  perhaps,  be 
impossible  to  develop  this  system  of  arrangement  fully,  in 
consequence  of  the  shape,  or  size,  or  peculiar  accessibility  of 
the  land,  or  from  other  local  considerations.  But  the  more 
thoroughly  it  is  inwoven  into  the  plan  of  the  place,  the  more 
perfect  and  pleasurable  will  that  place  be  made. 

Where  the  best  parts  of  a  garden  are  open  to  every  one  who 
approaches  from  the  outside  road  to  the  house,  there  is  not 
merely  no  privacy,  but  nothing  to  mark  any  distinction 
between  the  treatment  of  friends  and  casual  callers.  All  the 
delight  of  showing  the  former  round  the  garden,  and  reveal- 
ing its  more  sacred  and  elaborate  features,  is  completely  sacri- 
ficed if  they  can  see  them  before  reaching  the  house.  In  this 
respect,  a  garden  should  be  a  sort  of  practical  climax. 

10.  A  great  deal  of  ingenuity  is  often  demanded  to  give 
apparent  extent  to  a  place  that  is,  in  fact,  extremely  small. 
There  are  several  ways  of  contributinsr  to  the  attainment  of 
this.  Attention  to  some  of  the  points  already  discussed  will 
partly  accomplish  it.     If  a  garden  be  simple  in  its  plan,  there 


54  GENEKAL   PKINCIPLES. 

will  be  a  good  deal  of  open  space  in  it,  and  a  dash  of  intricacy 
will  rather  heighten  than  diminish  such  an  effect.  Harmony  of 
parts  will  further  maintain  the  idea  of  size ;  for,  where  every- 
thing is  linked  together  to  form  a  united  whole,  there  will  he 
none  of  that  distractedness  of  attention,  and  division  of  interest, 
which  tend  to  make  a  small  place  appear  still  smaller.  Repose 
is  indispensable  to  the  production  of  an  appearance  of  extent 
in  a  narrow  compass,  and  unless  everything  conspires  to  main- 
tain the  idea,  no  attempt  to  awaken  it  will  be  successful. 

Breadth  of  lawn  must  be  fully  attained  before  any  notion 
of  extent  can  be  conveyed.  A  garden  will  always  look  meagre 
without  a  good  open  lawn.  One  broad  glade  of  grass  should, 
therefore,  stretch  from  the  best  windows  of  the  house  to  within 
a  short  distance  of  the  boundary,  with  as  little  interruption 
from  walks  as  possible.  The  plants  and  groups  may  be  ranged 
irregularly  on  either  side  of  this  opening,  and,  where  the  space 
will  permit,  there  may  be  smaller  glades  through  and  among 
these  at  varied  intervals.  If  such  a  broad  glade  of  green-sward 
can  be  had  on  two  or  even  three  sides  of  the  house,  the  effect 
of  size  will  be  still  more  fully  realised. 

The  openness  here  advocated  must  not  on  any  account  be 
converted  into  plainness.  There  is  no  more  common  error 
than  to  suppose  that  a  place  which  has  simple  borders  along 
two  or  three  of  its  sides,  and  the  enclosed  area  entirely  un- 
furnished, presents  the  best  possible  representation  of  size. 
Because  a  very  small  space,  such  as  a  room,  will  appear  larger 
for  being  nearly  or  quite  empty,  it  must  not  be  assumed  that  a 
garden  is  to  be  judged  of  similarly :  on  the  contrary,  a  simple 
area,  which  is  taken  in  by  the  eye  at  one  glance,  invites  atten- 
tion to  the  sharpness  of  its  boundaries.  That  which  requires 
no  mental  effort  to  understand  and  embrace  will  never  seem 
extensive,  unless  of  gigantic  proportions.  The  notion  of  size  is 
not  to  be  realised,  within  straitened  limits,  by  mere  simplicity. 
It  is  indefiniteness  alone, — the  giving  the  eye  a  number  of 
points  to  rest  upon,  and  recesses  to  explore,  and  the  imagi- 
nation a  field  for  its  active  exercise,— that  can  produce  the 


APPEARANCE   OF   EXTENT.  55 

required  result.  What  we  measure  piece  by  piece,  through  a 
lengthened  process,  will  always  be  considered  larger  than  that 
which  strikes  upon  the  vision  at  once,  in  all  its  proportions. 

Where  there  is  an  opportunity  of  connecting  a  lawn  with  the 
field  or  park  by  means  of  a  sunk  fence,  and  keeping  the  park 
closely  fed  down,  so  as  always  pretty  nearly  to  resemble  the 
lawn,  the  place  will  be  much  enlarged  in  appearance.  Even 
the  existence  of  a  wire  fence  to  separate  the  two,  instead  of  a 
sunk  wall,  will  not  very  materially  lessen  the  result  sought  to 
be  produced  by  this  union  of  parts.  But  the  edge  of  the  lawn 
and  that  of  the  park  ought  to  be  about  on  the  same  level;  for 
if  the  earth  be  raised  on  the  top  of  the  sunk  wall,  or  on  the 
upper  edge  of  the  slope  from  the  bottom  of  the  wall  into  the 
park,  the  eye  will  be  prevented  from  travelling  smoothly  and 
continuously  across  the  two  surfaces,  the  division-line  will  be 
more  or  less  harsh,  and  some  of  the  actual  space  will  be  con- 
cealed by  the  raised  bank,  or  darkened  by  its  shadow. 

To  make  an  open  glade  of  lawn  appear  still  larger  than  it  is, 
the  expedient  of  turfing  closely  around  the  plants  and  masses 
along  its  margin  may  be  had  recourse  to.  It  has  previously 
been  stated  that  an  object  of  one  colour,  and  that  a  green  one, 
acquires  a  striking  apparent  augmentation  of  size.  And  if  the 
plants  that  flank  an  open  lawn  are  principally  evergreens,  and 
their  branches  sweep  the  grass,  without  any  soil  being  visible, 
the  space  is  thereby  very  much  expanded  in  appearance. 

What  has  just  been  said  as  to  the  effect  of  a  single  and 
uniform  colour  in  giving  breadth  of  effect,  will  apply,  moreover, 
to  the  injunction  now  added  that  all  walks  should,  as  far  as  is 
practicable,  in  a  small  place,  be  concealed  from  t/ie  house.  This 
can  be  in  great  measure  done  by  using  plants  of  very  various 
heights,  whether  in  groups  or  as  specimens ;  and  more  rarely, 
by  raising  the  ground  slightly  towards  the  walk,  and  then 
dropping  it  rather  suddenly  within  a  few  inches  of  its  edge. 
The  mode  of  effecting  this  may  be  seen  in  fig.  9,  which  is  a 
section  of  a  lawn  falling  away  from  the  house,  and  crossed  by  a 
sunk  walk,  the  dotted  line  over  the  latter  showing  what  the 


56 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


level  would  be  if  the  walk  was  not  there,  or  not  depressed. 
Where  plants  would  be  out  of  place  on  account  of  breaking  up  a 
glade,  or  spoiling  a  vista,  or  intruding  upon  a  recess,  this 


raising  of  the  ground  for  some  distance  to  a  uniform  height,  or 
giving  it  a  very  gentle  undulation,  to  cover  a  walk,  may  be 
successfully  adopted.  It  should  be  recollected,  however,  that 
as  before  hinted,  any  portion  of  a  lawn  that  is  raised  takes  off 
several  inches  or  feet  from  the  view  of  the  part  behind.  And 
this  consideration  should  suffice  to  keep  such  banks  down 
to  the  lowest  level  consistent  with  the  fulfilment  of  their 
design. 

At  any  point  in  which  there  is  a  great  change  in  the  line  of  a 
walk,  or  other  walks  branch  from  it,  there  is  a  special  necessity 
for  having  a  mass  of  shrubs  or  some  other  opaque  medium  to 
shut  out  such  abrupt  transitions  from  the  house  and  the  rest  of 
the  grounds.  Sudden  turns  or  breaks  should,  if  necessary  at  all, 
be  accomplished  quietly  and  privately,  being  at  least  screened 
from  notice  until  they  are  actually  reached.  Besides,  the 
point  from  whence  a  branch  walk  diverges,  requires  concealing 
for  the  additional  reason  that  the  eye  might  otherwise  travel 
from  the  house  or  lawn  some  distance  along  this  branch  line ; 
and  a  walk  that  can  be  thus  seen  along  is  more  conspicuous  and 
offensive  than  one  of  which  only  a  cross  view  is  obtained. 

Another  motive  for  keeping  walks  retired  and  out  of  sight 
which  may  here  be  mentioned,  though  it  does  not  so  much 
affect  the  question  of  extent,  is  that  they  may  be  more  private 
and  shaded,  less  liable  to  be  overlooked,  more  cool  and  refresh- 
ing in  summer,  and  warmer  and  more  sheltered  in  winter.  By 
passing  along  them,  too,  when  they  are  thus  secluded,  the 
various  views  of  the  place  which  occur  at  the  many  openings 


APPEARANCE  OF  EXTENT.  57 

that  may  be  left,  give,  by  reason  of  their  number  and  diversity, 
a  more  exalted  impression  of  size.  And,  unquestionably,  when 
persons  walk  in  their  gardens,  and  choose  the  paths  for  the 
purpose,  (as  they  always  must  do  except  in  the  finest  weather,) 
they  will  usually  desire  to  be  to  a  certain  extent  unseen,  so  that 
their  motions  and  occivpation  may  not  be  the  subject  of  obser- 
vation or  comment,  and  that  they  may  not,  if  the  space  be 
small,  whenever  their  eyes  are  turned  in  a  particular  direction, 
(whether  on  the  house  or  outside  road,)  encounter  other  eyes 
fastened  upon  them  with  a  prying,  scrutinising  gaze. 

One  of  the  best  methods  of  adding  to  the  apparent  limits  of  a 
place,  is  to  get  rid  of  anything  like  obvious  or  glaring  boundary 
lines.  This  can  be  done  by  planting,  throwing  up  mounds  of 
earth,  the. use  of  very  light  and  low  fences,  sunken  Avails,  the 
treatment  of  a  low  wall  as  an  architectural  feature,  the  covering 
of  a  dwarf  rough  wall  with  ivy,  and  letting  this  straggle  out 
from  it  wildly  and  irregularly,  by  broken  thickets  of  common 
Thorns  and  Hollies,  or  by  a  mixture  of  several  of  these  things. 
The  worst  and  ugliest  species  of  fence,  where  it  is  much  seen, 
is  a  plain  wall,  especially  if  it  be  high,  a  close  wooden  paling, 
unless  it  be  quite  a  rough  one,  of  split  oak,  such  as  is  common 
around  the  metropolis,  or  a  hedge  that  is  kept  regularly  clipped. 
All  these  present  a  formality,  hardness,  and  liny  character, 
which  are  continually  making  themselves  conspicuous;  and 
there  is  no  losing  the  consciousness  of  a  near  and  disagreeable 
boundary  when  it  is  composed  of  such  materials. 

It  should  be  observed  that,  as  few  places  offer  facilities  for 
getting  rid  of  the  boundary  line  entirely,  at  all  points,  without 
a  regular  enclosure  of  plantation,  there  is  little  objection  to  its 
appearing  occasionally,  provided  it  does  not  stand  forth  too 
prominently,  or  present  any  positively  bad  features.  The  chief 
point  is  to  keep  any  length  of  it  from  exhibiting  itself,  and  to 
procure,  in  the  spaces  that  come  between  such  exposed  portions 
of  it,  sufficient  connexion  with  what  is  beyond,  to  dismiss  all 
semblance  of  a  continuous  boundary  fence  in  that  direction. 

The  sulject  of  the  concealment  of  the  fences  of  a  place, 

3* 


58  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

is  one  of  considerable  moment,  and  Avill  be  more  definitely 
and  practically  treated  in  a  future  page.  At  present,  the 
enforcement  of  principles  only  is  sought. 

Still  further  to  carry  out  and  complete  the  idea  of  extending 
the  limits  of  a  garden,  good  and  beautiful  scenery,  or  objects 
outside  the  place,  should  be  brought  as  much  aud  as  conspicu- 
ously as  possible  into  view,  and  all  vulgar,  deformed,  or 
disagreeable  things,  or  such  as  do  not  appear  to  belong  to  the 
property,  or  to  be  its  fitting  adjuncts,  be  thoroughly  excluded. 
In  the  latter  class,  common  houses  or  cottages,  outbuildings, 
neighbours'  residences  of  a  better  order  which  are  very  near  or 
staring,  high  or  ugly  fences  on  an  adjoining  property,  public 
buildings  that  are  not  in  good  taste,  agreeable,  or  striking,  will 
furnish  a  few  illustrations.  They  are  to  be  shut  out  in  various 
ways,  according  to  their  height,  position  with  respect  to  the  best 
front  of  the  house,  and  nearness.  For  hiding  large  buildings, 
one  or  two  leading  points  of  observation  may  be  selected,  of 
which  the  drawing-room  windows  of  the  house  should  invariably 
be  the  principal,  and  the  object  to  be  gained  should  be  at- 
tempted in  relation  to  these.  It  is  hopeless  to  seek  to  darken 
one  or  more  great  eye-sores  from  every  part  of  the  grounds ; 
for  in  so  doing,  the  most  beautiful  views  may  be  intercepted 
from  the  better  and  more  important  stations. 

One  simple  rule  of  perspective  should  never  be  forgotten  in 
dealing  with  ugly  masses  of  building  that  are  both  high  and 
near.  It  is,  that  the  nearer  we  bring  to  our  point  of  vision  any 
object  that  we  wish  to  interpose  between  ourselves  and  another 
object,  the  larger  will  be  the  surface  of  the  latter,  both  as 
regards  breadth  and  height,  that  we  screen  from  view.  A 
reference  to  this  fact  will  often  enable  the  operator  to  accom- 
plish a  good  deal  with  scanty  materials,  and  to  do  it  at  once. 
Very  large  trees,  for  instance,  are  not  always  possessed,  or  to  be 
procured;  and,  if  planted,  they  will  not  thrive  so  well  as  others 
of  a  lower  growth.  The  knowledge  of  the  above  truth,  however, 
will  render  the  use  of  the  smaller  ones  as  perfectly,  and  as  im- 
mediately effectual,  as  the  larger  would  be  in  a  more  distant 


APPEARANCE    OF    EXTENT. 


59 


position.  And  in  this  way  a  moderate-sized  evergreen  may  be 
made  to  answer  a  purpose  which  a  tree  of  great  magnitude 
would  scarcely  be  sufficient  for  in  another  place.  It  need 
hardly  be  said  that  evergreens  are  much  more  suitable  for  the 
office,  where  they  can  be  had  large  enough,  as  they  do  the 
work  well  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  It  should  be  added,  that 
any  extreme  adaptation  of  the  rule  would  probably  bring  the 
trees  employed  too  close  to  the  house,  or  too  much  on  the 
lawn,  both  which  have  to  be  shunned. 

The  sketch  (fig.  10)  inserted  here  will  suffice  to  convey  the 
necessary  idea  of  what  is  intended.     The  dotted  line,  taken 


Fur.  10. 


from  a  window  as  the  point  of  view,  will  make  it  evident  that 
a  bush  is  just  as  useful,  when  sufficiently  near,  as  a  large  tree 
in  a  more  remote  position.  And  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
where  the  ground  falls  away  from  the  point  of  vision  towards 
an  object  that  is  to  be  shut  out,  the  application  of  this  princi- 
ple is  still  more  striking. 

Such  deformities  in  a  landscape  as  are  somewhat  distant,  and 
either  not  actually  large,  or  which,  from  their  remoteness,  do 
not  appear  to  cover  much  space,  may,  at  times,  be  appropriately 
blotted  out  by  a  neat  greenhouse  or  summer-seat,  a  small  tem- 
ple, or  any  architectural  feature  akin  to  these.  In  connection 
with  a  flower-garden,  too,  the  same  point  may  be  compassed 
by  a  colonnaded  wall,  an  ornamental  or  trellised  covered  way, 
an  architecturally  treated  wall  for  climbers,  or  a  short  range  of 
glass  houses.     But  ornaments  of  this  class  are  only  fitted  for 


60 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


peculiar  positions  and  styles  of  architecture,  to  which  they 
require  skilfully  adapting. 

There  are  certain  features  to  be  met  with  in  some  landscapes, 
which,  though  not  in  themselves  inelegant,  or  deficient  in 
beauty  and  interest,  may  have  their  character  and  effect  very 


Fig:.  11. 


much  improved  by  the  way  in  which  they  are  made  visible  from 
a  place.  Such  are  church  towers  and  spires,  (fig.  11,)  pillars  and 
obelisks,  distant  and  pretty  cottages,  prospect  and  flag  towers, 
ruins,  lighthouses,  windmills,  and  many  other  more  commonplace 
erections,  which  may  yet,  from  their  position,  their  outline,  or 
their  historical  or  local  associations,  be  worth  directing  attention 
to  particularly.     The  most  characteristic  and  effective  plan  of 


APPEARANCE   OF   EXTENT. 


61 


introducing  such  to  view  is  by  small  openings  in  the  inter- 
mediate or  boundary  plantations,  which  shall  create  a  kind  of 
vista,  at  the  end  of  which  the  object  intended  to  be  seen  occurs. 
If  the  sides  of  such  vistas  are  tastefully  and  naturally  finished 
off,  without  any  appearance  of  formality,  or  indication  of  art, 
and  the  trees  in  the  outer  landscape  at  all  favour  the  design, 
very  beautiful  effects  may  be  produced  in  this  manner,  out  of 
the  most  ordinary  materials.  Or  the  framework  of  such  open- 
ings may  have  a  more  artificial  character,  (fig.  12,)  the  branches 


Fig.  12. 

of  trees  or  light  wooden  fences  being  made  into  a  Roman  or 
Gothic  arch.  Or  the  same  can  be  formed  out  of  old  stems  of 
trees,  or  wire  trellises,  clothed  with  climbers.  Rude  or  more 
polished  arches  (fig.  13)  might  also,  in  some  places,  be  appro- 
priately made  of  stone,  or  plastered  brick,  or  any  similar  sub- 
stance. And  either  of  these  might  form  an  artistic  framework 
to  a  small  scene,  of  which  one  object  is  the  principal  feature. 

Broader  sweeps  of  landscape,  when  the  nature  of  the  surround- 
ing property  sanctions  their  introduction,  will,  of  course,  require 


62 


GENERAL    PRINCIPLES. 


to  be  treated  differently.  It  will  not  do  to  cut  them  into  shreds, 
or  exhibit  them  in  mere  patches  alone.  Nevertheless,  very  bold 
ranges  of  uninterrupted  scenery,  however  fine,  are  almost  incom- 
patible with  the  confinement  of  a  small  garden.     For  the  very 


Fig.   13. 

amplitude  and  grandeur  of  such  scenes  serve  to  render  the 
meagreness  of  the  home  view  all  the  more  marked  and  incon- 
sistent. In  addition  to  which,  it  maybe  assumed,  as  a  sort  of 
rule,  that  every  landscape,  distant  or  otherwise,  should  have  a 
distinct  foreground,  and  that  this  should  be  obtained  within  the 
home  estate,  and  tolerably  near  the  principal  points  of  observa- 
tion. So  that,  to  create  such  a  foreground,  it  will  be  needful  to 
separate  the  prospect  into  two,  three,  or  more  divisions.  And 
if  this  be  happily  executed,  omitting  merely  the  tamest  portions, 


APPEARANCE   OF   EXTENT. 


63 


and  making  the  openings  of  various  width,  with  very  differently 
shaped  plants  or  groups  to  compose  the  framework  of  the 
picture,  a  result  more  consonant  with  the  character  of  the  place, 
and  more  attractively  beautiful,  though  less  imposing,  will  be 
realised,  than  if  the  whole  had  been  left  to  its  native  boldness 
and  breadth. 

The  treatment  of  foregrounds  maybe  exemplified  (however 
imperfectly)  in  figs.  14,  15,  16,  and  17  ;  the  first  of  which  repre- 


Fig.   14. 

sents  a  foreground  to  a  flattish  and  quiet  landscape,  the  second 
to  a  more  undulating  and  varied  tract  of  country,  the  third  to  a 
still  more  irregular  and  hilly  piece  of  scenery,  and  the  other  to 
a  lake  or  the  sea.  In  all  these  cases,  the  materials  of  which 
the  foreground  is  composed  are  natural  ones,  and  are  treated 
in  the  natural  manner.  Of  course,  however,  different  kinds  of 
ornamental  fences  might  enter  largely  into  the  composition, 
and  become  characteristic  elements  of  the  scene. 

This  principle  of  dividing  a  large  landscape  into  several 
portions,  in  relation  to  a  place  of  narrow  limits,  by  the  introduc- 


64 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


tion  of  very  irregular  masses  of  trees  and  shrubs  along  or  near 
its  front  boundary,  may  be  yet  further  developed,  and  applied 
to  cases  in  which  only  such  smaller  scenes  can  be  admitted. 
For  the  treatment  of  both  would  be  the  same,  and  the  effects  of 
each  would  be  alike  suitable  and  desirable.  Examples  will  not 
be  unfrequ  en  t,  where  snatches  of  delicious  scenery  can  be  gleaned, 


Fig.  15. 


with  the  aid  of  much  contrivance,  here  and  there,  around  the 
best  sides  of  a  house ;  the  intervals  being  wholly  blocked  up 
with  something  beyond  the  owner's  territory  and  control. 
Only  let  it  be  established,  then,  that  these  glimpses  or  partial 
views  of  outlying  beauties  are  those  most  proper  to  the  accident 
of  having  but  a  small  garden, — that  they  best  accord  with  its 
necessary  internal  arrangements,  and  most  forcibly  enhance  its 


FOREGROUNDS. 


65 


own  apparent  size ;  and,  so  far  from  such  conditions  being  the 
subjects  of  chagrin  and  vexation,  they  will  be  hailed  rather  as 
felicitous   and   appropriate.     What  a  person  guided  by  the 


Fij?.    16 


highest  taste  would  endeavour  to  effect,  were  there  no  restric- 
tions and  impediments,  it  can  surely  be  no  disadvantage  to 
another  to  be  compelled  to  submit  to. 


66  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

Ill  its  fitness  for  awakening  and  fixing  the  attention,  the 
separation  of  a  country  scene  into  several  minor  portions,  instead 
of  exhibiting  it  all  at  once,  may  be  a  little  longer  dilated  upon. 
There  are  few  natural  pictures,  except  such  as  are  very  fine  and 
commanding,  which  do  not  lose  their  power  of  attraction  in  the 
precise  ratio  of  their  breadth.  That  which  is  gazed  upon  through 
a  variety  of  comparatively  narrow  openings,  will,  if  only  just 
above  common-place,  win  more  notice  than  if  it  lay  before  the 
observer  in  its  naked  expanse.  And  as  we  pass  along  behind 
a  screen  that  is  gracefully  unfolded,  as  it  were,  at  intervals,  to 
reveal  to  us  fragments  of  landscape,  curiosity  is  excited  to 
catch  those  points  hidden  by  the  opaque  portions  of  the  screen, 
and  an  extreme  diversity  of  prospect  is  gained. 

"Whether  the  plantations  between  different  openings,  made  to 
exhibit  a  pleasing  landscape,  be  the  result  of  necessity,  to  hide 
what  is  objectionable,  or  of  choice,  to  heighten  and  impart 
variety  to  the  pictures  intermediately  displayed,  their  outlines 
and  edges  alike  require  to  be  most  carefully  and  artistically 
treated.  Xot  that  this  should  be  artificially  done,  but  with  such 
refined  and  delicate  art,  that  it  shall  appear  as  if  Nature  herself 
had  polished  them  off.  Roundness,  and  yet  irregularity,  play 
of  outline,  an  intermixture  of  evergreen  and  deciduous  plants, 
forest  trees,  tree-like  shrubs,  and  such  as  are  decidedly  shrubby, 
with  variety  of  form  and  colour,  should  be  their  chief 
characteristics. 

When  any  broad  sheet  of  water,  such  as  the  sea,  a  large 
river,  or  a  lake,  forms  the  principal  object  from  the  front  of  a 
house,  or  from  some  point  in  the  garden,  the  value  of  a  good 
irregular  woody  foreground  (fig.  IV)  will  be  even  more  apparent. 
A  great  glare  of  water  is  seldom  agreeable  to  the  sight ;  and  in 
some  kinds  of  weather,  maybe  most  disagreeable  or  melancholy. 
The  passage  across  it  of  vessels  of  all  sorts,  likewise,  becomes 
far  more  interesting  and  delightful  when  it  is  only  to  be  ob- 
served at  intervals,  and  is  occasionally  lost  sight  of.  If  water 
be  looked  at  through  a  leafy  screen,  it  is,  moreover,  in  some 
degree  sobered  down  thereby.    It  does  not  dazzle  or  pain  the 


FOREGROUND  TO  WATER. 


67 


eye  so  much.  It  has  all  the  charm  of  light  and  shadow.  Its 
own  lustre  and  loveliness  are  brightened  by  the  contrast.  It  is 
a  gem  with  a  dark  setting. 

There  may  be  states  of  the  atmosphere  in  which  a  large 
unfurnished  expanse  of  water  will  be  perfectly  satisfactory.    On 


1>U    .^\x\. 


Fig.  17. 


a  rich  summer's  evening,  towards  sunset,  or  during  twright, 
especially  after  warm  showers,  water  may  often  be  in  the  highest 
degree  beautiful,  without  any  accompaniment.  But  in  general 
it  will  either  be  too  glittering  or  too  cold  to  be  altogether  satis- 
fying, without  some  aid  from  trees  as  a  foreground  ;  and  in  this 
changeful  and  chilly  climate,  the  periods  at  which  its  own  naked 
beauty  can  be  entirely  appreciated  will  be  of  rare  occurrence. 
It  is,  therefore,  wise  to  provide  for  common  and  usual  enjoy- 


68  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

and  usual  enjoyment,  and  to  leave  extraordinary  pleasures  to  be 
otherwise  obtained.  The  scene  that  is  most  pleasing  at  all 
seasons  of  the  year  will  undoubtedly  furnish  the  largest  amount 
of  gratification,  and  make  a  habitation  most  cheerful. 

11.  Nothing  imparts  a  greater  air  of  refinement  and  gentility 
to  a  garden  than  a  certain  amount  of  richness  and  polish.  The 
first  of  these  may  be  attained  by  means  of  a  tasteful  selection 
of  plants  and  flowers,  and  by  the  sparing  use  of  appropriate 
architectural  decorations.  Polish  is  more  a  matter  that  relates 
to  the  mechanical  execution  of  the  design.  Still,  it  may  be 
advanced  a  step  higher,  and  applied  to  the  expression  as  well 
as  the  finish.  In  the  outlines  of  figures  and  beds,  in  the  arrange- 
ment of  plants,  and  in  the  shaping  of  the  ground,  much  may  be 
done  to  create  this  delicate  grace.  Everything  straggling  or 
ragged,  all  that  produces  confusion,  and,  as  a  rule,  all  angularity 
and  harshness  are  completely  opposed  to  it.  Extreme  smooth- 
ness, easiness  of  transitions,  gracefulness  of  lines,  softness  of 
undulation,  lightness  and  elegance  of  ornament,  are  some  of 
its  leading  manifestations. 

Both  richness  and  polish  will,  to  a  certain  extent,  be  the  result 
of  keeping,  as  well  as  attention  to  matters  of  detail  in  the  first 
formation.  A  place  can  never  possess  either,  unless  the  taste 
shown  in  the  design  be  carried  into  the  minutest  details  of  the 
execution,  and  be  maintained  by  subsequent  care  and  correct 
feeling.  Hard  deep  edges  to  the  walks  and  borders,  slopes  or 
undulations  which  unite  with  the  general  level  by  a  convex 
instead  of  a  concave  line,  and  little  irregularities  (that  are  not 
undulations)  in  the  surface  of  a  lawn,  are  quite  incompatible 
with  high  polish ;  as  extreme  thinness  of  plants  in  beds,  poverty 
and  weakness  of  masses  or  specimens,  large  staring  patches  of 
bare  soil  visible  in  the  borders  or  beds  skirting  a  lawn,  an 
inferior  order  of  plants  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house  or 
by  the  sides  of  the  grass  glades,  and  the  use  of  common-place 
or  uncongenial  ornaments,  are  inconsistent  with  richness. 

12.  To  conceal  the  offices  and  out-buildings  belonging  to  a 
residence  is  a  matter  of  the  most  ordinary  kind  ;  yet  it  may  be 


CONCEALMENT  OF  OFFICES.  69 

very  clumsily  effected.  Planting  is  in  general  the  most  effectual 
means.  It  should  not,  however,  be  carried  so  close  to  the 
building  as  to  darken  the  windows  materially,  or  occasion  damp- 
ness. And  that  this  may  be  attended  to  without  intruding  too 
much  upon  the  space  of  the  garden,  the  arrangement  of  the 
house  must  be  adjusted  accordingly.  A  good  deal,  in  short,  will 
depend  upon  the  architect.  Perhaps  it  is  best,  when  the 
servants'  apartments  are  on  the  ground  floor,  to  keep  them 
wholly  on  the  least  important  side  of  the  building,  as  regards 
aspect  and  scenery ;  and  have  their  windows  looking  for  the 
most  part  into  the  house  yard,  which  can  then  be  easily  planted 
out.  If  treated  as  an  inferior  wing  to  the  house,  they  should 
always  recede  far  enough  from  the  principal  elevation,  to  give 
space  for  the  admission  of  light  and  air  between  them  and  the 
plantation  or  whatever  else  is  used  for  screening  them. 

The  offices  of  a  house  may  be  otherwise  hidden  by  means  of 
a  close  trellis,  covered  with  climbers,  intermixed  with  Ivy ;  by 
a  raised  bank  or  mound,  with  a  few  shrubs  on  the  top  of  it, 
and  a  dwarf  wall  and  area  on  the  inside  next  the  house ;  by  a 
low  greenhouse  or  small  range  of  glass-houses,  or  a  colonnade 
or  covered  way,  when  there  is  room  for  any  of  these ;  or  by  an 
ornamental  wing-wall  for  tender  climbing  plants,  attached  to 
the  house.  The  preference  to  be  given  to  any  of  these  expe- 
dients must  be  determined  altogether  by  the  locality,  the  style 
of  the  house,  and  the  tastes  or  desires  of  the  owner.  Either 
of  the  methods  suggested  will  require  applying  with  skill,  or 
they  will,  in  remedying  one  evil,  only  create  another. 

The  annexed  plan  (fig.  18)  is  brought  forward  in  this  place  to 
point  out  how  the  offices,  yards,  <fcc,  in  the  rear  of  a  house  may 
be  disguised,  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  considerable  amount  of 
effect  is  produced  in  the  way  of  support  to  the  house,  and  of 
general  architectural  grouping.  It  is  a  small  portion  of  the  plan 
of  grounds  belonging  to  Owen  Jones,  Esq.,  of  Stanacres,  near 
Thornton,  Cheshire.  The  house  and  offices  (1)  are  in  the  early 
English  style  of  architecture,  and  are  connected  with  the  con- 
servatory (3)  by  a  covered  way,  (2,)  which  is  open  in  front.    At 


CONCEALMENT   OF   OFFICES.  71 

4  is  a  boiler  shed,  in  the  rear  of  which  are  the  house-yard, 
garden-yard,  stables,  &c.  An  ornamental  wall,  (5,)  with  but- 
tresses, and  built  of  red  sandstone,  like  the  house,  joins  the  con- 
servatory to  a  summer  house,  (6,)  which  latter  terminates  two 
principal  walks,  is  open  on  three  sides,  and  is  likewise  a  stone 
erection.  The  whole  partially  encloses  and  shelters  a  small 
flower-garden.  Additional  character  is  obtained  by  having  the 
conservatory  and  covered  way  on  a  raised  terrace,  level  with  the 
house,  and  about  four  feet  above  the  flower-garden,  to  which  last 
it  is  joined  by  a  terrace  bank  (7)  of  grass.  The  border  (8)  round 
the  base  of  the  wall  is  filled  with  choice  flowers  and  climbers. 
Dwarf  evergreens  are  placed  wdiere  the  remaining  figures  occur, 
9  being  specimens  of  Andromeda  floribunda,  10,  a  dwarf  Rhodo- 
dendron, 11,  plants  of  Erica  earnea,  12,  a  bed  of  Daphne  pon- 
tica,  with  a  few  Rhododendrons,  13,  Y~ucca  gloriosa,  14,  a 
mass  chiefly  filled  with  Rhododendrons,  and  15,  Hodgins's 
Holly.  The  kitchen-garden  lies  to  the  west  of  the  boiler  shed, 
(4,)  and  the  wall  running  south-westwards  from  the  conserva- 
tory constitutes  the  kitchen-garden  wall  on  its  north-west  side. 
In  a  subsequent  illustration,  (fig.  165,)  more  of  the  details  of 
this  place  will  be  given. 

When  the  offices  of  a  house  are  wmolly  in  the  basement  story, 
instead  of  the  usual  small  areas  and  gratings,  which  convert  them 
into  mere  cellars,  a  better  way  of  securing  light,  air,  and  cheer- 
fulness, is  either  to  make  a  broad  open  area  along  the  entire 
sides  on  which  the  windows  occur,  and  treat  it  architecturally ; 
or  to  slope  the  ground  down  to  the  level  of  the  lower  floor  from 
the  garden,  and  keep  it  as  lawn,  with  a  few  low  shrubs  scattered 
about  upon  it  singly  and  in  groups ;  or  to  make  a  similar  sloping 
bank  to  each  window,  only  building  up  an  area  to  half  its  height. 
The  last  plan  is  the  least  obtrusive,  and  the  most  easily  carried 
out ;  though  the  having  a  continuous  slope  along  the  whole 
front  of  the  house  where  the  windows  are  situated  is  best 
adapted  to  secure  dryness,  and  make  the  lower  rooms  comfort- 
able. In  either  case,  the  top  of  the  slope  should  be  just  on  a 
level  with  the  bottom  of  the  plinth  of  the  house,  or  only  two  or 


72  GENEKAL   PKIXCIPLES. 

three  inches  above  it,  and  be  kept  precisely  at  that  level  for  its 
full  length,  so  that  the  slopes  and  the  basement  of  the  building 
may  not  be  seen  at  a  little  distance  from  the  house,  and  the 
plinth  may  appear  resting  on  the  soil  or  grass,  as  it  should  be. 
Any  shrubs  that  may  be  used  should  never  be  allowed  to  grow 
much  above  the  same  level. 

13.  I  come  now  to  the  consideration  of  that  very  essential 
element  in  the  composition  of  a  landscape, — variety.  This  has 
been  happily  termed  "  the  spice  of  life,"  since  without  it  exist- 
ence has  no  true  relish.  And  its  influence  in  landscape  garden- 
ing is  equally  potent ;  for  it  gives  a  vivacity,  a  freshness,  and  a 
piquancy  which  nothing  else  will  supply.  It  is  the  crowning 
grace  that  makes  even  uncouthness  tolerable,  and  invests  beauty 
with  superior  attractions.  Sameness  is  but  another  word  for 
feebleness ;  variety,  for  power.  It  is  that  for  which  man  has  a 
kind  of  innate  and  insatiable  thirst,  to  which  nature  is  per- 
petually ministering.  "Who  ever  saw  the  sky  dappled  or  tinted 
in  exactly  the  same  manner,  or  a  plant  or  tree  developing  itself 
precisely,  part  for  part,  as  another  does  ?  No  two  natural 
landscapes  could  ever  be  found  alike  in  all  particulars.  In 
stream,  and  forest,  and  mountain,  with  all  their  shades  of 
modification,  and  minuteness  of  furniture,  there  is  a  wonderful 
dearth  of  near  resemblances,  or  more  than  general  relations.  It 
is  the  province  of  art,  then,  to  consult  and  to  weigh  these 
indications  of  nature,  and  the  corresponding  tastes  in  man,  and 
to  derive  lessons  from  the  one,  and  endeavour  to  gratify  the 
other. 

Variety  may  be  partly  obtained  in  gardens  by  serpentina 
walks.  If,  from  some  elevation,  we  observe  the  course  of  a 
small  river,  with  its  numerous  and  varied  meanderings,  or 
follow  the  devious  track  of  a  wild  forest  path,  we  shall  soon 
be  convinced  of  this.  It  is  the  graceful  contortion  of  line  that 
at  once  pleases  the  eye  and  stimulates  the  fancy ; — carries  the 
observer  onward,  and  continually  rewards  him  with  fresh  beau- 
ties. But  as  neither  a  small  stream  nor  a  forest  path  will  be 
nearly  so  alluring  when  a  number  of  their  convolutions  are 


VARIETY   FROM  SERPENTINE   WALKS. 


73 


spread  out  in  one  view,  as  they  would  be  were  it  necessary  to 
pursue  their  course  in  order  to  discover  each  particular  turn, 
and  pry  into  its  individual  charms ;  so  a  serpentine  walk,  in 
which  several  of  the  curves  are  seen  at  once,  or  where  they 
very  much  resemble  each  other  in  sweep,  loses  the  chief  and 
most  engaging  part  of  its  variety.  It  is  of  prime  concern, 
therefore,  that  the  curves  in  a  walk  should  be  varied  as  much 
as  they  can  be  in  their  length  and  expansion,  (fig.  1 9,)  and  that 


Fig.  19. 

they  should  not  be  exposed  to  each  other  at  any  point.  The 
views  to  be  caught  from  the  numerous  stasres  in  the  turns  of 
such  a  walk  should  embrace  every  good  aspect  of  the  house, 
the  garden  itself,  and  the  adjoining  country. 

To  prevent  the  curves  in  a  serpentine  walk  from  being  bared 
to  one  another,  groups  of  plantation,  composed  pretty  liberally 
of  eA  ergreens,  are  most  customary.  They  will  of  course  be 
principally  wanted  at  or  near  the  hollows  of  the  curves :  though 
it  would  be  unwise  always  to  put  them  just  at  the  extreme 
centre ;  because,  in  those  turns  that  sweep  away  from  the  lawn 
especially,  the  greatest  depth  of  grassy  bay  may  there  be  pro- 
cured.    Figs.  19  and  20  will  assist  in  explaining  this.     And 


u 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


one  merit  in  the  management  of  such  things  will  be  in  making 
the  position,  outline,  and  character  of  the  groups  extremely 
different. 

Other  modes  of  shutting  out  one  curve  of  a  walk  from  another 
are  the  formation  of  a  swell  in  the  ground;  a  group  of  rocks  or 


Fig.  20. 

roots,  thrown  together  rudely,  and  partially  planted  with  low 
evergreens  and  alpines ;  a  covered  seat  or  summer-house,  backed, 
if  nee  Is  be,  with  masses  of  shrubs  ;  or  two  or  three  specimen 

plants,    or    a    tolerably    large    and 
spreading  tree. 

And   here   the    remark  naturally 

occurs,  that  variety  may  be  further 

attained   by  placing    single   plants 

and  groups  on  a  lawn.    (See  figs.  21 

and  22.)     In  doing  this,  everything 

like    straightness    and   formality   is 

specially  to  be  discarded.     The  size 

and    shape    of   the     groups,    while 

they  are  in  due  measuread  apted  to 

the  lines  of  the  walks,  can  scarcely  be  too  unlike,  provided  the 

changes  in  their   shape  be   not   extravagantly  numerous,  or 

trifling,  or  violent.     There  should  be  enough  of  plantations  to 


Fisr.  21. 


VARIETY  FROM  PLANTS  AND  GROUPS.        ^5 

furnish  a  lawn,  and  shut  up  the  walks  here  and  there  in  order 
to  produce  freshness ;  but  not  so  many  as  to  encumber  and 
cramp  the  place.  A  few  good  bold  openings  between  them, 
where  the  space  is  small,  will  be  better  than  a  great  number 


Fig.  22. 
of  petty  ones.     And  all  such  openings  should  be  carried  as  fir 
as  is  at  all  practicable  into  the  surrounding  or  outside  border, 
that  the  eye  may  be  required  to  explore  them,  and  not  scan 
them  in  a  moment. 

In  the  old-fashioned  systems  of  gardening,  it  is  usual  to  place 
all  the  dwarf-growing  plants  at  the  front  of  the  bed  or  border, 
and  those  of  greater  height  behind  them,  reserving  the  taller 
and  more  stately  forms  for  the  centre  or  the  back.  A  regular 
slope  of  branches  and  foliage  is  thus  occasioned,  and  has  the 
most  perfectly  artificial  appearance  that  can  be  imagined.  It 
is  of  course  utterly  subversive  of  all  variety ;  and  may  be 
likened,  in  form,  to  the  sloping  roof  of  a  house,  wherein  only 
convenience  is  contemplated.  In  nature,  the  very  opposite  of 
all  this  is  observable.  Bushes  and  trees,  herbs  and  bushes, 
blend  together  in  the  freest  and  most  indiscriminate  manner, 
as  in  fig.  23.  And  while  the  edges  of  her  groups  are  commonly 
rounded  off  with  exquisite  finish,  spiry  forms  sometimes  also 
jut  forth  from  them,  and  beget  a  charming  diversity. 

And  thus  should  it  be  with  masses  of  plants  produced  by  art. 
They  should  have  a  roundness  of  outline,  and  yet  be  in  the 
strongest  sense  irregular ;  the  tallest  plants  being  brought  near 
the  fronts  at  some  of  the  most  prominent  parts,  and  interspersed 
through  the  groups  at  various  intervals ;  being  backed  up  by 
those  of  the  next  size,  and  the  interspaces  filled  with  smaller 


76 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 


and  middle-sized  plants.  Ordinarily,  the  boldest  swells  in  the 
groups  should  have  the  boldest  plants  in  them,  and  the  smaller 
projections  be  furnished  with  plants  a  size  or  two  lower ;  while 


Fig.  23. 

the  retiring  and  narrow  parts  may  be  made  up  with  low  or 
second-sized  shrubs  alone.  Here  and  there  a  tree  or  plant  of 
upright  or  fastigiate  character,  such  as  the  Lombardy  Poplar, 
the  upright  Elm,  the  Cypress,  the  Arbor-vitas,  (fig.  24,)  and 
the  Irish  Yew,  will  make  a  very  striking  break  towards  the 
front  of  the  swells,  or  even  nearer  the  middle  of  the  mass,  if 
well  supported  with  lower  things  of  another  character. 

Single  specimens  on  a  lawn  ought  to  be  disposed  with  the 
greatest  nicety  and  care.  For  the  most  part  they  should  be 
attached  to  the  groups  (fig.  25)  by  being  put  at  some  of  their 


VAKIETY   IN   GKOUPING. 


77 


salient  points,  to  cany  out  and  soften  off  the  swells  in  them. 
The  more  prominent  the  projection  of  a  mass,  the  better  will  it 


Fig.  24. 

be  fitted  for  receiving  one  or  more  specimens  as  an  adjunct 
or  extension.     By  thus  adding,  in  effect,  to  the  bolder  points,  a 


Fig.  25. 

much  greater  play  of  line  will  be  produced.     In  the  openings 
between  the  masses,  single  plants  should  be  very  sparingly 


78  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

inserted,  as  they  will  lessen  their  size.  Still,  where  an  opening 
extends  beyond  a  walk,  and  is  not  very  narrow,  a  specimen 
plant  or  two,  not  exactly  in  the  middle  of  the  opening,  in  the 
hollow  part  of  the  curve  of  the  walk,  may  often  be  useful  to 
break  the  plainness  of  a  bay,  and  give  more  occupation  to  the 
eye  and  the  fancy. 

On  lawns  of  any  considerable  breadth,  one  or  two  small 
groups,  and  a  few  scattered  specimens,  will  sometimes  be  neces- 
sary in  other  parts  than  at  the  mere  sides,  (see  fig.  14,)  to 
communicate  length  as  well  as  breadth,  and  a  larger  share  of 
variety.  In  arranging  these  groups  and  specimens,  regard 
should  be  had  to  several  points  at  which  the  lawn  extends 
most  nearly  to  the  margin  of  the  place ;  that,  by  very  irre- 
gular and  broken  files  of  plants,  the  eye  may  be  thrown  into 
these  furthest  recesses,  and  have,  in  the  plants  on  either  side  of 
the  view,  the  means  of  measuring  its  full  length.  A  lawn  that 
has  its  glades  flanked  with  something  like  rows  of  low  trees  or 
shrubs,  will  seem  considerably  larger  than  it  is,  and  will  of 
course  present  more  variety  of  view.  By  rows  and  files,  how- 
ever, is  not  meant  literally  what  the  words  express,  but  an 
ingenious  disposal  of  the  groups  and  specimens  so  as  to  have 
some  of  the  effect  which  rows  would  produce. 

Should  a  house  be  so  unfortunately  placed  as  to  look 
obliquely  upon  one  of  the  boundaries  of  the  property,  variety 
maybe  occasioned  by  drawing  lines  from  the  best  windows  of 
the  house,  at  different  distances,  in  the  direction  of  that  boun- 
dary, (fig.  26,)  and  jutting  forward  the  plantation  or  speci- 
mens along  some  of  these  lines  into  the  lawn  or  field,  leaving 
deep  irregular  bays  or  recesses  between  all  such  projections ; 
these  bays  or  openings  being  marked,  in  the  figure,  by  arrows, 
between  dotted  lines.  Not  that  the  plants  should  be  put  in 
rows  along  a  portion  of  either  of  these  lines ;  but  spotted  about 
between  any  two  of  them,  in  larger  or  smaller  patches.  The 
plants  at  the  end  of  such  recesses  should  likewise  be  the  lowest 
by  which  the  boundary  can  be  hidden,  to  carry  the  eye  as  far 
as  possible  beyond  them. 


CONTRAST   IN   FOEAT.  79 

This  will  tend  to  mitigate  the  meagreness  and  narrowness  of 


Fig.   2G. 
the  estate  on  that  side,  and  give  some  degree  of  relief  and 


80  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

change  in  the  place  of  a  hard  and  monotonous  line  of  fence  or 
plantation. 

A  leading  point  to  keep  in  mind  in  the  disposal  of  single 
plants  and  masses  on  lawns  is,  in  fine,  that  they  have  to  form, 
furnish,  support,  and  give  extent  to  a  variety  of  glades,  vistas, 
and  recesses.  From  the  drawing  or  sitting-room  windows  of 
the  house,  therefore,  this  arrangement  should  be  principally 
considered,  and  fully  sustained.  No  specimen  should  stand  out 
in  the  middle  of  a  glade,  or  destroy  the  continuity  of  a  vista, 
or  be  thrust  forward  into  the  sides  of  a  recess.  Nor  should  a 
group  be  placed  otherwise  than  to  create  and  maintain  these 
various  features,  or  ever  fill  up,  except  very  partially,  those 
bays  in  which  a  greater  length  of  lawn  can  be  obtained. 

The  house  must  always  be  regarded  as  the  chief  point  of 
vision  in  a  place,  and  the  best  views  of  the  grounds  should  con- 
sequently be  had  from  it.  The  windows  of  a  house  are  a  great 
deal  more  used  for  looking  at  a  garden  than  any  other 
position ;  and  the  points  of  interest  can  there  be  inspected  more 
leisurely.  The  seasons  and  the  weather  will  not  admit  of  more 
than  casual  walks  in  a  garden ;  and  then  there  is  little  temp- 
tation to  remain  long  in  a  given  spot.  For  these  reasons,  and 
because  occasional  visitors  see  a  garden  more  from  the  windows 
of  the  house,  it  is  a  good  plan  to  form,  in  laying  out  a  garden, 
a  series  of  lines,  radiating  from  one,  two,  or  three  principal 
windows  of  the  house,  at  irregular  distances  apart,  towards  the 
outside  boundary ;  and  place  the  requisite  specimens  and  groups 
of  plants  solely  within  certain  of  the  triangles  thus  made, 
according  as  they  may  be  wanted ;  never  suffering  the  speci- 
mens nearest  the  house  to  be  so  large  as  to  cover  a  greater 
space  at  the  broad  end  of  the  triangle  than  may  there  be 
required  as  a  plantation,  and  disposing  the  whole  of  them  so 
irregularly,  as  that  nothing  like  lines  of  plants  shall  ever 
appear.  The  practice  of  such  a  system  need  in  no  way  interfere 
with  the  beauty  and  variety  of  the  lawn,  as  seen  from  other 
parts.  This  can  just  as  easily  be  attained  at  the  same  time. 
Indeed,  cross  lines  from  all  the  openings  at  the  sides  of  a  place 


VARIETY  IN  GROUPING. 


81 


\rill  be  of  equal  service  in  the  formation  of  subordinate  views,  or 


N  x  V!"    /  / 


,\ 


P 

fllllllllli|lp 


Fig.   27. 


minor  glades.     A  slight  illustration  of  this  is  offered  in  fig.  27, 


82  GENERAL    PRINCIPLES. 

the  arrows  between  the  clotted  lines  denoting  the  various 
openings  or  glades,  both  from  the  principal  window  and  from 
the  sides  of  the  lawn. 

By  a  due  admixture  of  different  sorts  of  plants,  variety  may 
be  additionally  realised.  The  habit  and  character  of  trees  and 
shrubs  exhibit  a  wonderful  amount  of  variation.  Some  of  them, 
indeed,  possess  unusually  striking  characteristics,  and  assume  a 
most  peculiar  garb.  But  there  is  something  of  difference  in  all ; 
and  little  peculiarities  show  themselves  to  advantage  in  a  small 
place.  The  selection  of  plants  for  a  garden  should  therefore 
comprise  all  the  best  and  most  showy  sorts  that  can  be  pro- 
cured, or  for  which  there  is  proper  room  and  a  suitable  situation. 
And  these  should  be  well  mixed  together,  though  not  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  practice  of  grouping  particular  kinds.  To  throw 
the  various  tribes  of  plants  into  masses,  according  to  their 
natural  affinities,  as  is  sometimes  recommended  for  arboretums, 
while  it  is  destructive  of  all  variety  under  the  most  favourable 
conditions,  is  quite  out  of  the  question  in  small  gardens. 

In  attention  to  the  heights  of  plants,  and  the  colour  of  their 
leaves  and  flowers,  there  is  much  variety  to  be  found.  Diversity 
of  height  is  as  telling  as  variety  of  shape  and  arrangement. 
And  colours  are,  perhaps,  even  more  expressive.  Certain  kinds 
of  trees  produce  foliage  of  a  delicate  pale  green,  or  silvery 
grey,  or  with  a  marked  variegation.  Others  have  a  dark, 
massive,  sombre  look,  and  are  evergreen.  Such  sorts  should  be 
particularly  sought  after,  and  placed  where  they  will  exhibit 
themselves  most  strikingly,  and  be  backed  by  others  that  will 
help  to  throw  out  their  colours  by  contrast.  With  flowers,  too, 
the  same  measures  should  be  resorted  to.  The  species  may  be 
arranged  so  that  one  enhances  the  beauty  of  the  other,  and  all 
together  make  a  lively  and  varied  whole. 

Ohjects  of  a  lighter  colour  than  that  of  any  mere  vegetable 
forms,  such  as  vases,  or  statuary,  or  fountains,  or  buildings  of 
any  kind,  or  pieces  of  water,  will  largely  contribute  to  variety. 
Anything  lighter  than  the  colour  of  ordinary  stone,  is,  however, 
hardly  admissible ;  for  the  whiteness  of  plaster  figures,  inde- 


VARIETY   FROM   WATER.  83 

pendently  of  their  coarseness  and  commonness,  is  too  little  in 
harmony  with  a  garden  scene  to  satisfy  a  cultivated  taste. 
Greenhouses  that  are  painted  white  on  the  outside  are  similarly 
incongruous,  and  should  be  of  the  same  colour  as  the  building 
to  which  they  are  attached ;  or,  if  standing  by  themselves,  and 
situated  in  the  pleasure  garden,  they  might  be  of  a  quiet  stone 
colour. 

Water,  with  its  beautiful  changes  of  aspect  and  complexion, 
deserves  to  be  more  distinctly  mentioned  as  a  source  of  variety. 
The  sparkling  crystallizations  or  feathery  spray  of  a  fountain 
or  cascade ;  the  ripple  of  a  pool  as  it  is  agitated  by  winds,  or 
disturbed  by  fish  ;  the  reflections  of  lawn,  plant,  and  sky,  which 
are  so  softly  mirrored  on  its  glassy  surface  after  a  warm  rain ; 
the  murmur,  and  music,  and  life  of  a  stream ;  the  transparency, 
the  glitter,  the  coolness,  almost  inseparable  from  the  posses- 
sion of  water,  in  any  form ;  are  all  causes  of  a  well  nigh  end- 
less variety.  And  if  aquatic  plants  can  be  cultivated  in  it,  or 
Mater-fowl  encouraged,  its  variations  and  its  liveliness  will  be 
far  more  conspicuous. 

Like  the  atmosphere,  which  it  in  some  measure  resembles, 
and  with  which  it  is  sympathetically  affected,  water  is  suscep- 
tible of  a  wondrous  variety  of  impressions,  in  different  states 
of  the  weather.  Taking  only  its  capacity  to  reflect  objects,  an 
attentive  observer  will  find  that,  as  a  landscape  never  looks 
precisely  the  same  under  different  atmospheric  conditions,  so  a 
smaller  scene  is  pictured  in  water  alike  differently  as  to  clear- 
ness or  dimness,  shades  of  colouring,  play  of  light  and  shadow, 
distinctness  or  indefiniteness  of  lines,  and  all  those  nameless 
little  graces  which  go  to  make  up  the  interesting  diversity  that 
atmospheric  phenomena  occasion.  At  morning,  mid-day,  twi- 
light, or  moonlight,  beneath  sunshine  or  deep  cloudiness,  before 
or  after  rain,  when  the  weather  is  soft  and  balmy,  or  harsh  and 
chill ;  at  all  seasons,  in  fact,  and  under  all  circumstances,  except 
when  a  wind  is  stirring,  water  will  present,  like  the  atmosphere, 
a  constantly  changing  medium  through  which  a  landscape  may 
be  examined.     And  this  is  only  one  of  its  charms. 


84  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

Climbers,  trained  to  poles,  standard  arid  weeping  plants, 
will,  if  rightly  placed,  add  another  grace  to  the  expression  of 
variety.  The  former  of  these,  whether  they  be  Roses,  Clema- 
tis, Honeysuckles,  Wistarias,  or  others  of  the  class,  are  exceed- 
ingly lovely  after  they  have  reached  their  full  growth,  and 
acquired  a  free-flowering  condition.  They  will  tower  up  above 
ordinary  shrubs,  and  thus  help  to  break  the  outline.  Their 
forms  are  peculiar  and  graceful.  They  occupy  but  little  room, 
and  blossom  in  the  greatest  profusion.  The  fittest  place  for 
them  is  towards  the  fronts  of  any  prominent  swells  in  a  border 
or  bed,  where  they  make  a  bold  break  in  the  mass,  and  are  not 
left  unsupported.  On  the  lawn,  unless  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  some  large  shrub  or  low  tree,  of  nearly  or  quite  the  same 
height  as  themselves,  or  even  a  little  higher,  they  are  too  tall 
for  their  breadth,  and  do  not  appear  in  their  right  position. 
Similar  spots  may  also  be  chosen  for  standard  and  weeping 
plants,  as  they  will  there  hang  well  forward,  and  give  great 
character  to  a  corner.  But  they  are  alike  fitted  for  lawn  spe- 
cimens, if  not  grafted  on  very  tall  stems. 

A  final  constituent  of  variety  is  undulation  of  the  surface  of 
the  ground.  It  is  not  all  places,  of  course — possibly  not  many 
of  them — that  afford  scope  for  the  adoption  of  this.  And  it 
must  be  set  about  with  great  judgment.  Undulating  the 
ground,  for  the  mere  sake  of  doing  so,  when  all  the  country 
beyond  is  flat  and  tame,  will  only  appear  peculiar  and  eccen- 
tric. There  must  be  a  reason  for  what  is  done ;  and  if  there 
be  some  correspondence,  likewise,  with  the  district  outside  the 
garden,  it  will  be  still  more  correct  and  appropriate. 

In  building  a  house,  its  ground  floor  is  now  generally  placed 
several  feet  above  the  natural  level  of  the  land,  and  there  has 
consequently  to  be  raised  around  it  an  artificial  bank.  Along 
the  boundary  of  a  place  it  is  often  further  desirable  to  form 
another  low  bank,  (fig.  28,)  if  the  material  can  be  had,  and  to 
raise  the  beds  or  masses  towards  the  edges  of  the  lawn,  that  the 
limits  of  the  ground  and  the  line  of  the  walks  may  be  more 
perfectly  hidden.     Between  these  banks,  then,  there  will  be  a 


VARIETY  FROM   UNDULATIONS. 


85 


sort  of  hollow  basin,  composing  the  lawn,  (fig.  29,)  and  susceptible 
of  some  little  variation ;  while  the  shape  of  the  banks  them- 
selves, if  worked  nicely  into  the  level  of  the  lawn,  will  give  more 


or  less  play  of  surface. '  If  there  be  a  pool  of  water,  a  fish-pond, 
or  a  small  lake  of  varied  shape,  the  sloping  of  the  ground  down 
to  either  of  these  will  supply  the  means  of  getting  a  little  more 
undulation ;  and  the  earth  taken  out  to  form  them  may  be 
employed  in  making  increased  banks.   The  raising  of  the  ground 


Fig.  29. 

in  a  small  swell  around  each  specimen  plant,  as  before  described, 
will  help  to  vary  the  surface. 

Undulations  may  exist  naturally  in  a  garden  or  field,  and 
these  should  be  scrupulously  preserved,  and  rather  be  added  to 
than  curtailed.  As  a  rule,  the  bottom  of  a  hollow  should  never 
be  planted,  (fig.  30,)  and  only  portions  of  its  slopes.  Plantations 
in  hollows  lessen  their  depth,  not  only  in  proportion  to  the  height 
of  the  plants  placed  in  them,  but  because  the  surface  of  a  mass 
of  plants  is  always  more  or  less  broken,  and  a  dell  so  filled  will 
appear  several  inches  or  even  one  or  two  feet  shallower  than  if 
it  had  a  smooth  grassy  bottom.  Planting  by  the  margins  of 
streams  in  hollows  is  sometimes  effective,  but  it  should  be 


86 


GENERAL    PRINCIPLES. 


decidedly  irregular,  and  In  clusters  or  groups  rather  than  in 
large  masses.    When  a  hollow  or  glen  is  so  deep  or  so  remote 


Fiz.  30. 


from  the  house  that  its  hottom  is  not  seen,  keeping  it  implanted 
will  preserve  the  indefiniteness,  which  is  one  of  its  finest  effects. 
If  the  eye  cannot  fathom  any  such  dip  in  the  land,  there  will  be 
a  mystic  character  about  it  which  will  lead  the  imagination  to 


-£    V  a-. 


paint  it  much  deeper  than  it  actually  is.    And  the  full  know- 
ledge of  its  precise  limits   will  not   dissipate   the   pleasure. 


VARIETY   FROM    UNDULATIONS. 


87 


Knolls,  swells,  or  any  trifling  elevations,  (fig.  31,)  maybe  advan- 
tageonsljr  -elected  for  groups  of  trees  ;  as,  by  giving  them  thus 
a  greater  height,  the  depth  of  the  intermediate  or  surrounding 
depressions  is  increased.    Even  an  almost  imperceptible  rise  in 


Kg,  32. 

the  ground,  (fig.  32,)  should  not  be  lost  for  such  a  purpose,  where 
its  position  happens  to  be  suitable. 

The  greatest  charm  about  undulations  of  land  lies  in  their 
softness  and  freedom.  The  lines  should  all  melt  into  each 
other.  Angularity,  sharpness,  orstraightness,  will  be  unknown 
in  them.     In  the  meeting  of  two  lines,  (fig.  33,)  they  should 


Fig.  33. 

seem  as  if  they  had  been  gradually  attracted  towards  each  other 
for  some  distance  previously.  They  ought  never  to  unite  with 
apparent  reluctance.  And  however  good  and  desirable  change 
of  surface  may  be,  beauty  must  not  be  sacrificed  to  variety. 

The  slope  of  any  elevation,  therefore,  however  small,  should 
be  so  prolonged  as  imperceptibly  to  merge  into  the  common 
level,  (fig.  34,)  and  by  a  concave  line  of  the  gentle.-t  possible 


88 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


description.  For  the  mere  lengthening  out  of  the  slope  will 
produce  ugliness  rather  than  beauty,  if  some  degree  of  concavity 
be  not  expressly  sought.    After  any  ground  line  once  begins  to 


Fig.  34. 

reach  the  middle  of  its  descent,  it  should  then  almost  imme- 
diately commence  to  curve  under. 

More  positive,  because  more  sudden,  variations  of  surface, 
may  be  engendered  by  what  is  termed  picturesqueness.  In  this 
kind  of  scenery,  the  forms  are  all  rugged,  the  lines  broken,  the 
changes  abrupt.  Rough  and  tangled  tufts  of  vegetation,  ground 
that  has  in  no  way  been  smoothed  and  levelled,  jutting  masses 
or  bold  faces  of  rock,  gnarled  trunks  and  tortuous  branches  of 
trees,  and  ruined  buildings,  half  mantled  with  the  Ivy,  the 
Wall-flower,  the  Fern,  and  the  Pellitory,  are  illustrations  in 
point.  Little,  however,  can  be  done  in  this  way  with  small 
gardens,  which  are  too  near  the  house — itself  an  object  of  the 
highest  art — to  be  capable  of  being  rendered  picturesque. 

Still,  some  few  elements  of  picturesque  variety  can  be  now 
and  then  introduced  to  a  garden,  in  the  way  of  old  stumps  of 
trees  re-animated  with  a  drapery  of  Ivy  and  Clematis,  or 
garlanded  with  Roses  ;  festoons  or  pillars  of  several  climbers, 
permitted  to  grow  wildly,  after  having  attained  sufficient  age 
and  strength ;  Ivy,  reduced  by  training,  to  a  tree-like  stem,  of 
three,  four,  or  five  feet  in  height,  and  then  left  to  fling  abroad 
its  branches,  and  trail  them  gracefully  down  to  the  ground ; 
and  climbers,  clothing  the  stems  of  living  trees,  and  tangling 
about  their  branches.  In  some  retired  parts  of  the  garden, 
rockeries,  collections  of  ferns,  rocky  streams,  waterfalls,  or  other 
picturesque  objects,  can  be  easily  added  in  many  localities,  and 


CONTRAST.  89 

will  be  most  prolific  in  all  the  resources  of  variety.  Rustic 
arbours  or  seats — broken  pillars,  old  vases  or  urns,  partially 
covered  with  some  rude  climber — baskets  for  flowers,  made  of 
rough  wood,  with  the  bark  on,  or  old  trunks  of  trees,  scooped 
out  with  the  necessary  hollow  in  the  centre, — are  a  few  of  the 
more  architectural  among  picturesque  decorations. 

1 4.  Con  trast  is  a  characteristic  which,  though  rarely  attainable 
to  any  extent  in  small  places,  must  not  be  wholly  rejected.  It 
has  been  shown  that  it  may  be  effective  in  heightening  colour ; 
but  it  merits,  as  a  principle,  a  little  more  development.  It 
necessarily  involves  a  certain  amount  of  suddenness  in  change, 
whether  as  to  colour,  form,  or  general  character.  Very  violent 
transitions  are,  however,  by  no  means  to  be  included  in  the 
idea;  at  least  not  so  far  as  its  adoption  is  here  considered 
recommendable. 

If  a  rule  might  be  ventured  on  in  reference  to  this  rather 
difficult  matter,  it  should  assume  that  harmony  ought  to  reign 
paramount,  and  almost  alone,  over  the  general  features  of  a 
place,  and  that  contrast  should  distinguish  its  episodes  or  more 
detached  accessories.  What  is  meant  is,  that  a  garden,  as 
viewed  from  the  house,  or  from  most  of  its  own  principal  points, 
should  consist  of  parts  and  objects  that  have  some  decided 
agreement  with  each  other,  or  that  the  several  constituent  parts 
should  blend  and  interfuse  insensibly ;  while  peculiarities, 
whether  of  treatment  or  vegetation,  can  be  reserved  for  little 
side  scenes,  shut  off  from  the  rest,  or  most  imperfectly  disclosed, 
until  the  observer  finds  himself  all  at  once  in  the  midst  of  them. 
The  full  effect  of  a  contrast  may  thus  be  secured,  without  any 
interference  with  the  much  more  important  principles  of  har- 
mony or  congruity. 

Still,  the  occasional  admission  into  a  more  open  landscape  of 
things  which  will  produce  contrast,  is  by  no  means  altogether 
to  be  condemned.  I  remember  being  frequently  attracted,  and 
always  with  the  same  pleasure,  to  a  beautiful  specimen  of  the 
weeping  Birch,  growing  by  the  side  of  a  noble  Cedar  of  Lebanon  5 
on  a  lawn  attached  to  a  villa  near  the  metropolis.    And  I  have 


90  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

also  noticed  with  admiration,  in  several  parts  of  the  country,  a 
kind  of  companionship  established  between  beeches  and  fine  old 
specimens  of  the  common  yew.  In  both  these  instances  there 
was  a  marked  contrast  both  of  form  and  colour.  But  the 
branches  of  the  two  plants  were  so  nicely  interwoven,  and  their 
foliage  so  happily  mixed  together,  in  broader  or  smaller  patches, 
towards  the  junction  of  the  two,  that  while  the  strongest  con- 
trast was  apparent, -there  was,  at  the  same  time,  by  the  irregu- 
larity with  which  the  outlines  of  each  were  intermingled, — the 
masses  of  light  and  shade  gradually  losing  themselves  in  each 
other, — a  really  gentle  and  easy  transition. 

The  illustrations  thus  referred  to  appear  to  teach  several 
things.  If  two  trees  or  plants,  or  two  masses  of  either,  having 
very  opposite  characters,  are  sought  to  be  placed  side  by  side, 
for  the  purpose  of  contrast,  they  should  be  put  near  enough  to 
enable  their  branches  to  intermix  with  one  another,  that  the 
contrast  may  not  be  too  sudden.  In  the  case  of  two  groups  of 
very  different  plants,  such  as  light-leaved  deciduous  and  dark- 
leaved  evergreen  varieties,  being  wished  to  be  brought  together, 
a  few  of  each  sort  should  be  irregularly  thrown  into  the  adjoin- 
ing group,  to  produce  the  same  effect  as  the  interwreathing  of 
branches  would  do  with  single  specimens. 

Again,  where  a  contrasted  tree  or  shrub,  or  group  of  the  same, 
cannot  oris  not  desired  to  be  placed  so  near  its  opposite  neigh- 
bour as  to  allow  the  branches  to  mingle,  or  the  sorts  to  blend 
at  the  edges  of  the  mass,  some  intermediate  plant  or  plants,  of 
a  quiet  neutral  tint,  or  some  breadth  of  lawn,  in  which  the  grass 
will  answer  the  same  end,  should  be  interposed  between  the  two, 
to  soften  away  the  abruptness  of  the  change. 

The  examples  further  show  that  the  particular  expression  of 
contrast  which  is  most  desirable  to  be  attained,  need  not  detract 
from  the  general  harmony  of  a  place.  There  is  that  about 
plants  which  renders  it  possible,  by  letting  them  grow  into  each 
other,  as  has  been  shown,  to  put  the  most  strikingly  different 
species  side  by  side,  without  any  violent  or  startling  effect 
resulting.     If  the  same  thing  were  done  with  objects  having 


CONTKAST.  91 

square  or  regular  edges,  that  were  equally  dissimilar,  nothing 
but  ugliness  and  incongruity  would  follow.  The  pleasing  union 
of  two  contrasted  things  is  only  capable  of  being  effected  when 
the  parts  to  be  joined  have  an  irregular  margin,  and  can  be 
imperceptibly  and  intricately  inwoven. 

Certain  sorts  of  plants  are  much  more  fitted  to  produce  con- 
trast than  others.  Those  with  either  pinnated  (that  is,  variously 
divided  or  feather-like)  leaves,  or  extremely  small  or  pale  green 
or  silvery  foliage,  or  slender  or  weeping  branches,  may  be  par- 
ticularly noted,  as  adapted  for  contrasting  with  dark  and  heavy 
foliaged  evergreens.  Acacias,  several  species  of  Sumach,  Ailan- 
thus,  common  Ash,  weeping  Willow,  deciduous  Cypress,  weep- 
ing Birch,  and  common  Larch,  are  examples  of  the  first  class. 
Cedars,  Yews,  Pines,  and  evergreen  Oaks,  are  some  of  the  oppo- 
site kinds.  Early  and  gay-flowering  shrubs,  or  those  which  have 
white  blossoms,  show  to  great  advantage  when  backed  by  ever- 
greens. An  Almond  supported  by  two  or  three  Pines,  a  few 
red-flowering  Currants  scattered  among  Rhododendrons,  Syrin- 
gas  flanked  by  Hollies,  and  Rhododendrons  in  which  the  pale 
flowers  and  dark  leaves  are  united,  make  excellent  contrasts. 

Those  who  are  familiar  with  the  less-frequented  parts  of  the 
noble  public  park  at  Richmond,  in  Surrey,  will  no  doubt  re- 
member, on  the  edge  of  the  picturesque  slope  which  follows  the 
course  of  the  Thames,  a  number  of  fine  old  Thorns,  many  of 
which  are  most  pleasingly  mantled  with  Ivy.  When  the  delicate 
young  foliage  of  these  Thorns  is  first  developed,  and  when  the 
white  blossoms  are  added,  and,  even  in  winter,  when  the  bushes 
are  laden  with  bright  red  haws,  the  contrast  between  any  of 
these  and  the  tufted  Ivy, — the  latter  sometimes  clothed  with  its 
yellowish  blossoms,  or  black  berries, — is  very  noticeable,  and 
affords  an  excellent  example  of  the  point  now  under  discussion. 

In  colours,  the  deepest  contrast  may  sometimes  be  had  with- 
out at  all  trenching  on  the  laws  of  harmony.  White  flowers, 
whether  in  borders  or  in  beds,  where  only  one  colour  is  used, 
will  always  match  well  with  any  shade  of  red  or  blue  ;  and  yet 
nothing  could  be  a  greater  contrast.     Green  will  likewise  adapt 


\'-2  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES, 

itself  to  any  other  colour,  and  perhaps  all  the  more  appropri- 
ately the  more  it  IS  in  contrast  with  it.  Park  green  IS  the  beat 
Contrast    and   the  nicest    mixture  with  white,  ami  pale  yellow 

green  with  dark  red  or  deep  blue.  Green  also  set  ma  to  improve 
a  light  stone  colour  ;  and  hence  houses  built  of  common  white 
stone,  as  it  is  called,  look  best  when  they  arc  reposing  on  _  -   as; 

ami  the  pedestals  of  vases  or  other  sculptured  figures  follow  the 
like  rule.  It  may  he  doubted,  however,  whether  houses  or 
objects  formed  of  red  sandstone,  will  not,  for  a  similar  reasi  n, 
please  the  eye  better  when  they  stand  on  a  broad  paved  ter- 
race of  white  stone  or  whitish  gravel;  though  such  is  the  har- 
monising power  of  grass  that  it  will  not  appear  unsuitable 
even  in  such  cas<  3. 

15.  Although  everything  approaching  to  eccentricity  has 
been  fully  deprecated  in  a  former  page,  a  tew  lines  may  oov. 
devoted  to  advocating  originality^  as  a  principle  to  be  aimed 
at  in  a  garden.  The  scenes  of  nature  are  continually  sought, 
because,  while  they  are  M  ever  charming,"  they  are  likewise 
**ever  new."  And  a  garden  should  be  made  to  combine  some 
little  freshness, — something  that  will  distinguish  it  from  other 
gardens.  Departure  from  rule  is  not,  it  will  readily  be  believed, 
the  kind  of  originality  to  be  desired.  It  is  rather  such  afl 
results  from  newness  of  arrangement,  of  combinations,  of  expres- 
sion, and  character.  It  is  rare,  indeed,  that  two  places  will 
have  the  same  shape,  soil,  aspect,  surface,  and  accompaniments: 
and  every  peculiarity  that  is  not  really  bad  should  be  seized 
upon,  and  worked  into  some  kind  of  novelty. 

Originality  is  antagonistic  to  all  sorts  of  lameness,  Even  a 
slight  deviation  from  established  laws  will  often  be  preferable  to 
their  dull  and  expressionless  embodiment,  though  such  a  course 
cannot  at  all  be  allowed  to  be  necessary.  That  which  is  eom- 
mon-plaee, — which  is  the  exact  counterpart  of  what  everybody 
else  has,- — never  leaves  any  impression  upon  the  observer's 
mind,  or  wins  him  back  to  a  second  inspection. 

Freshness  of  aspect  may  be  the  result  of  any  one  particular 
circumstance,  or  a  combination  of  them.    The  treatment  of  the 


ORIGINALITY.  93 

foreground  of  a  place  may  produce  it.  by  present::  _  I 
and  shrubs  brought  Dp  nearer  to  the  house  than  usual,  (hut 

-  as  to  darken  or  make  it  damp, )  nan  _  I  be  lawn  very  much 
at  that  point,  and  letting  it  gradually  exj-ai.  the 
boundary,  so  that  the  house  will 

-     f  nesl  in  the  midst  of  a  plantation,  :. 
actually  so.     The  boundary  lines,  again,  may  be  tr 
to  get  the  greatest  possible  freshness  of  view  both  within  and 
beyond  them,  and  plants  of  an  uncommon  kind  may  be  1. 
introduced.     In  some  districts,  certain  sorts  of  trees  and  - 
and  flowers  abound,  and  are  met  with  in  every  place,     T 

-  m  to  have  acquired  a  local  standing,  and  to  be  distrib  . 
from  one  neighbour  to  another.     It  will  be  well,  tb 
break  through  these  prescribed  limits,  and  wlect  1 
altogether  different. 

By  giving  a  chosen  tribe  of  plants  the  chi  _     den, 

originality  is  not  {infrequently  hit  upon.     Tin  tal 

exclusion  of  deciduous  plants  will  have  a  very  mark  -.if 

the  evergreens  be  well  selected,  and  I  -  which  bear  flowers 
predominate;  otherwise  they  will  be  rather  dull  in  summer. 
Azaleas,  or  1 1  sea,  or  any  other  very  showy  class  of  plants,  which 
produce  a  great  blaze  of  floa     s,     ill,  if  not  i  coins! 

grown,  contribute  to  the  same  end.  A  garden  mio  I 
bly  well  furnished  with  the  tribe  known  as**  American  plants/1 
with  a  very  little  aid  from  other  quartos.  I  have  known 
persons  travel  for  mil-  s  to  f  a  bank  of  Rhododendrons  in 
full  bloom ;  and  the  mass  -  I  Azaleas  and  other  a  Americans " 
at  the  Bagshot  nm  b  s,  are  the  astonishment  and  admirati 
of  all  wh<>  visit  them  in  the  flowering  season.    Ins  oafl  pla     s, 

.  which  have   no  bad  surrounding  objects   I 
-  might  be  altogether  dispensed  with. 

In  these  and  many  other  ways,  which  local  eonsideral 
Bnggesl  and  deride,  originality  will  1 

attainment.     I  have  mi  Bed  a  few.  by  waj 

hints,  to  show  that  something  can  1  The  mention  of 

groups  («f pillar-Roses, — eh  gant  climber? trained  into  a  tent-tike 


94:  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

shape, — little  temples  or  alcoves  of  wire,  covered  with  climbers, 
— bowers  composed  of  trees,  trimmed  on  the  inside,  and  open  at 
the  top,  so  that  patches  of  sky  and  stars  are  seen  as  from  a  kind 
of  well,  but  through  an  irregular  aperture, — small  bell-shaped 
canvas  tents,  for  a  lawn, — architectural  objects  placed  at  the 
termination  of  every  opening  from  the  side  of  the  lawn, — -just 
indicates,  also,  the  uses  of  more  artificial  things  for  the  same 
purpose.     Any  one  can  multiply  or  vary  them  at  pleasure. 

16.  As  the  result  of  a  number  of  principles  judiciously  com- 
bined and  elaborated,  a  place  should  always  possess  some  more 
or  less  decided  expression  and  tone  /  and,  as  the  character  of 
a  garden  will  usually  attach  itself  in  great  part  to  the  owner 
or  occupier,  so  that  his  own  dispositions  and  tastes  will  be 
judged  of  by  the  kind  of  feeling  displayed  in  his  garden,  it 
becomes  of  consequence  that  this  point  should  be  kept  con- 
tinually in  view  while  laying  it  out. 

A  garden  may  be  distinguished  by  its  gaiety  of  tone.  This 
will  be  principally  produced  during  summer  by  a  variety  of 
showy  flowers,  by  masses  of  brilliant-flowering  shrubs,  by 
standard  and  other  Roses,  by  a  conspicuous  flower-garden,  and 
by  a  variety  of  purely  summer  decorations.  The  shrubs  and 
low  trees  will  be  chiefly  flowering  ones ;  green-house  plants  in 
flower  will  be  freely  placed  about,  or  beds  of  them  provided ; 
and  everything  will  have  an  exotic  air.  In  winter  the  same 
tone  will  be  preserved,  as  far  as  possible,  with  variegated  ever- 
greens, Laurustinus,  Arbutus,  Erica  carnea,  shrubs  that  bear 
red  berries,  and  other  flowering  or  gay-looking  evergreens, 
with  an  abundance  of  early-blooming  bulbs  and  herbaceous 
plants,  to  betoken  the  first  approaches  of  spring.  The  whole 
character  of  the  place  should  also  be  light,  open,  airy ;  not  at 
all  crowded,  or  overgrown,  or  overshadowed.  The  gravel  in 
the  walks  should  have  the  warm  reddish-yellow  tint  common 
around  London  ;  and  the  architectural  enrichments  should  be 
lively,  and  rather  florid  than  otherwise. 

But  the  expression  of  a  garden  may,  if  required,  be  that  of 
quietness, — a  modest,  unassuming,  medium  state,  between  plain- 


QUIETNESS   OF   EXPRESSION.  95 

ness  and  ostentation.  It  need  not  be  wanting  in  beauty  or 
refinement.  It  may  be  correctly  and  even  elegantly  arranged 
and  furnished ;  yet  there  will  be  no  peculiarity  of  tone  on  which 
the  eye  can  fasten.  All  will  be  good,  but  nothing  arresting. 
Flowers  will  be  cherished,  though  not  in  extraordinary  profusion. 
Every  kind  of  evergreens  will  be  unreservedly  admitted ;  but 
there  will  be  no  attempt  at  display,  no  thrusting  forward  the 
evidences  of  wealth.  Taste  will  be  shown  in  concealing  all  its 
manifestations, — in  the  little  arts,  and  ingenious  contrivances, 
and  kindly  cares,  which  embellish  gardens,  as  they  do  life,  with- 
out ever  revealing  the  machinery  of  their  action,  and  of  which 
the  effect  is  seen  and  felt  in  their  results  rather  than  their  pro- 
cesses,— in  the  whole  rather  than  the  details.  A  quiet-looking 
garden,  like  a  well-educated  individual,  presents  no  particular 
feature  that  can  attract  special  notice :  all  is  smooth,  easy, 
agreeable.  And  perhaps  this  quietness  of  expression  is  the 
surest  index  to  refinement  and  taste ;  though  the  latter  is  not 
incompatible  with  some  amount  of  luxury  and  sprightliness. 

Art  should  be  pretty  obviously  expressed  in  that  part  of  every 
garden  which  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  house,  and  may 
sometimes  retain  its  prominence  throughout  the  whole  place. 
In  the  latter  case,  terraces,  straight  lines  of  walks,  avenues  of 
trees  or  shrubs,  rows  of  flower-beds,  and  geometrical  figures, 
with  all  kinds  of  architectural  ornaments  will  prevail.  Con- 
siderable dignity  of  character  may  certainly  thus  be  acquired ; 
and,  if  well  sustained,  the  expression  of  high  art  will  be  a  very 
noble  one.  But  there  are  not  many  places  which  will  bear  to 
be  thus  treated,  and  it  is  less  frequently  suitable  for  one  of  small 
dimensions.  It  is,  moreover,  a  very  costly  style,  and  requires 
the  lawns  to  be  on  the  most  perfect  level,  and  the  grass,  beds, 
and  masses  to  be  always  in  the  highest  preservation.  A  warm 
part  of  the  country,  where  a  rich  landscape  surrounds  the  place, 
will  best  warrant  its  adoption.  In  the  near  neighbourhood  of 
towns,  or  in  a  bleak  and  ungenial  climate,  it  will  appear  too 
bare  and  cold.  A  purely  town-garden,  however,  may  be 
treated  thus  with  great  effect.      Terrace  walls,  balustrades, 


96  GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 

flights  of  steps,  vases  filled  with  shrubs  or  flowers,  and  even 
statuary,  will  here  be  most  important  accessories. 

Certain  classes  of  plants  seem  peculiarly  fitted  for  a  garden 
in  which  much  art  is  to  be  displayed.  Round-headed  standards 
and  upright  or  fastigiate  shrubs  are  singularly  appropriate. 
Rhododendrons,  Portugal  laurels,  JRobinia  i7iermis,  Roses,  and 
some  species  of  Cytisus,  treated  as  standards,  will  make  admir- 
able lines  of  plants  to  flank  a  square  or  oblong  lawn  ;  and  the 
Araucaria  imbricata  may  likewise  be  mentioned.  Irish  Yews, 
on  the  other  hand,  with  several  species  of  Juniper,  Cypress,  and 
Arbor  Vita?,  fit  most  beautifully  into  the  corners  of  flower- 
gardens,  or  points  in  other  plots  geometrically  arranged ;  and, 
where  there  is  space  enough,  the  majestic  form  of  the  Cedar 
of  Lebanon  and  the  graceful  Deodar  will  powerfully  enhance 
the  expression  of  art. 

There  is  a  possibility  of  such  things  as  poverty  and  heaviness 
constituting  the  tone  of  a  garden ;  and  every  eflbrt  should  be 
employed  to  obviate  this.  A  large  proportion  of  sombre  ever- 
greens, a  dearth  of  flowers,  or  a  neglect  of  finish  and  keeping, 
may  impart  a  gloomy  character,  which  is  particularly  unhappy. 
A  garden  seems  naturally  intended  to  communicate  cheerful- 
ness and  pleasure  ;  and  this  design  should  never  be  frustrated 
by  making  it  look  like  a  cemetery.  A  great  many  large  trees 
would,  by  their  shadow,  and  the  destruction  of  the  grass  be- 
neath them,  conduce  to  the  same  fault ;  and  lumpish  masses  of 
plantation,  with  few  breaks,  little  variety  of  outline,  and  a 
scanty  addition  of  detached  specimens,  would  deepen  the  im- 
pression. Massive  and  inelegant  ornaments  will  only  then  be 
wanted  to  complete  its  wretchedness. 

Poverty  of  expression  is  almost  worse  than  heaviness.  It 
conveys  the  idea  of  meanness,  inattention,  indifference, — hard- 
ness and  narrowness  of  mind  in  the  possessor,  and  coldness  of 
heart.  Some  gardens  are  thus  poor  in  design,  others  in  their 
details,  and  many  in  regard  to  their  furniture.  The  first  may 
exhibit  a  deficiency  of  thought  and  taste  in  adaptation,  every- 
thing being  dashed  off"  or  jumbled  together,  as  convenience  or 


EXPRESSION  AND   STYLE.  97 

ease  might  dictate.  The  second  class  will  denote  the  absence 
of  taste  in  execution,  and  of  care  to  put  the  finishing  strokes 
to  everything.  The  third  section  indicates  a  meagreness  of 
materials, — the  commonest  description  of  plants,  and  a  scanty 
supply  of  them.  The  defect  of  the  first  will  be  paucity  of 
invention  ;  of  the  second,  insufficient  application  ;  and  of  the 
third,  dearth  of  means.  Each  may  exist  separately,  or  all  be 
found  together.  They  are  capable  of  easy  remedy ;  though 
the  last,  if  it  arise  from  pecuniary  causes,  must  be  either 
endured,  or  the  materials  be  so  selected  in  respect  to  their 
rapidity  of  growth  and  showiness,  and  so  artfully  disposed,  as 
to  be  made  the  best  of.  Where  shrubs  or  plants  enough  cannot 
be  had  to  furnish  a  place  fully,  it  is  better  to  put  them  suf- 
ficiently thick  in  smaller  masses,  than  to  scatter  them  over  a 
larger  space,  in  which  there  will  be  much  bare  earth  visible. 

Instances  in  which  an  aspect  of  poorness  arises  from  the  soil 
or  the  climate  being  uncongenial,  can  be  rectified  by  improving 
the  one,  and  using  such  plants  only  as  will  thrive  in  the  other, 
Experience  and  attentive  observation  of  what  succeeds  in  the 
neighbourhood  will  supply  the  requisite  information  as  to 
climate.  Hereafter,  however,  a  few  guiding  suggestions  will 
be  given  with  reference  to  both  climate  and  soil.  Poverty  in 
the  aspect  of  a  country  may  be  greatly  relieved  and  atoned  for 
by  an  extra  amount  of  furniture  within  a  place,  and  by  restrict- 
ing the  views  from  it.  A  barren  and  unsightly  waste,  or 
common,  or  moor,  can  be  made  to  subserve  the  purposes  of 
art,  if  only  glimpses  of  it  be  here  and  there  afforded  through 
masses  of  rich  foliage ;  for,  with  such  a  foreground,  its  extreme 
poverty  will  be  neutralised,  and  become  a  foil  to  set  off  the 
richness  and  cultivation  inside  the  place. 

1 7.  No  garden  should  be  altogether  destitute  oi manner  and 
style,  however  feebly  or  indistinctly  they  may  be  expressed. 
Purity  and  corrects  oss  of  feeling  in  regard  to  any  given  style 
are  the  most  important  things  to  be  sought  after ;  for  it  is 
barely  possi1'  *e  to  give  rules  which  shall  embrace  every  variety 
of  detail      In  little  matters,  indeed,  the  properties  of  different 

5 


98  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

styles  may  be  associated,  under  special  circumstances,  without 
any  breach  of  rule ;  a  right  appreciation  of  the  spirit  of  each 
being  alone  wanted  to  enable  any  one  to  adapt  parts  of  the 
others  thereto.  A  close  analysation  will  show  that  some 
features  are  common  to  two  styles,  or  even  to  all  of  them, 
the  great  distinctions  consisting  in  larger  characteristics. 

There  are  three  principal  kinds  of  style  recognised  in  land- 
scape gardening ; — the  old  formal  or  geometrical  style  ;  the 
mixed,  middle,  or  irregular  style,  which  Mr.  Loudon  called  the 
gardenesque ;  and  the  picturesque.  Of  each  of  these  I  shall 
offer  a  brief  explanation. 

Attached  to  the  geometrical  style  there  is  a  greater  degree  of 
originality,  distinctness,  and  art,  than  to  either  of  the  others. 
It  is  the  most  easily  defined,  and  therefore,  probably,  the  least 
difficult  to  practise  for  a  person  at  all  familiar  with  the  simplest 
rules  of  architecture.  It  treats  a  garden  solely  and  entirely  as 
a  work  of  art.  And  the  forms  of  nature  which  it  impresses 
into  its  service  are  simply  those  which  have  the  closest  affinity 
to  its  own  characteristics,  and  are,  in  fact,  most  artificial. 

Doubtless  the  geometrical  style  is  that  which  an  architect 
would  most  naturally  prefer ;  for  it  subordinates  everything 
to  the  house,  and  is  a  carrying  out  of  the  principles  common 
to  both  itself  and  architecture.  A  series  of  straight  fines, 
joining  one  another  at  right  angles,  and  of  beds  in  which  some 
form  of  a  circle  or  a  parallelogram  is  always  apparent,  or  which 
fit  into  any  regular  figure,  are,  as  just  before  remarked,  the 
leading  and  most  expressive  features  of  this  style.  Flights  of 
steps,  balustraded  walls,  terrace  banks,  symmetry  and  corre- 
spondence of  parts,  circles,  ovals,  oblong  and  angular  beds, 
exotic  forms  of  vegetation,  raised  platforms,  and  sunken  panels, 
are  some  of  the  materials  with  which  it  deals. 

To  apply  the  style  now  under  notice  successfully,  the  character 
of  the  house  and  the  nature  of  the  surrounding  land  must  justify 
its  use,  or  be  brought  into  accordance  with  it.  Grecian,  Roman, 
or  Italian  forms  of  architecture  are  those  in  connexion  with 
which  it  can  be  most  freely  adopted.    A  mere  terrace,  or  series 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE. 


99 


of  terraces  may  accompany  a  Gothic  house,  and  can  be  attended 
with  a  geometrical  flower-garden,  or  with  other  straight  walks. 
But  to  produce  a  whole  in  this  manner,  one  of  the  three  archi- 
tectural styles  I  have  mentioned  would  form  the  best  foun- 
dation work.  Hence,  the  practice  of  the  geometrical  style  has 
often  received  the  title  of  "  Italian  "  gardening ;  it  having  been 
most  extensively  adopted  in  Italy,  and  in  relation  to  the  archi- 
tectural forms  peculiar  to  that  country.  Still,  there  may  be 
cases  in  which,  from  the  particular  form  of  the  ground,  or  the 
character  of  the  outlying  district,  or  from  other  local  circum- 
stances, a  house  in  the  Elizabethan  or  any  kind  of  Gothic  style 
may  be  fitly  accompanied  with  a  purely  regular  garden,  pos- 
sessing all  the  features  of  the  formal  school. 

Commencing  at  the  house,  which  should  always  be  raised 
three  or  four  feet  above  the  common  ground  level,  this  may  be 
supported  by  either  a  flat  grass  platform,  with  a  grass  slope 
from  it  to  the  edge  of  a  walk  below,  or,  what  is  better,  the  walk 
may  be  on  the  level  of  the  house,  (fig.  35,)  and  parallel  with  it, 


Fig.  35. 

and  either  a  sloping  grass  bank,  or  a  low  ornamental  wall,  break 
the  change  of  level,  this  bank  or  wall  affording  the  means  of 
obtaining  one  or  more  flights  of  steps.  Whichever  of  these 
plans  is  pursued,  the  grass  at  the  edge  of  the  walk,  whether  on 
the  top  of  the  bank  or  at  the  bottom  of  the  slope,  should  be 
quite  flat,  to  the  width  of  at  least  a  foot,  (more  will  be  pre- 
ferable,) and  this  rule  must  not  be  departed  from  in  any 


100  GENEKAL   PKIXCIPLES. 

similar  case.  The  upper  edge  of  such  grass  banks  ought  to  be 
square,  and  by  no  means  rounded  off,  while  the  bottom  of 
them  may  be  very  slightly  softened,  observing  to  keep  it  quite 
equally  so  for  the  entire  length.  Terraces  should  never  be  so 
broad  as  materially  to  foreshorten  the  view  of  the  lawn,  which 
is  a  common  but  decided  error. 

If  the  front  of  a  house  has  many  breaks  or  projections,  the 
terrace  platform  must  be  made  so  much  the  broader,  that  the 
upper  edge  of  the  bank  may  take  a  straight  direction,  instead 
of  being  parallel  with  the  house  in  all  its  parts.  Should  the 
centre  of  the  house  only,  however,  or  one  of  the  principal 
rooms,  be  thrown  forward  in  a  square  or  partially  semicircular 
form,  the  terrace  bank  may  very  properly  and  effectively  take 
the  same  shape  ;  the  flight  of  steps  being  put  in  the  centre  of 
this  projection,  or  omitted  altogether. 

A  terrace  wTalk  at  the  top  of  a  slope,  and  close  to  the  house, 
has  the  advantage  of  commanding  a  good  view  of  the  whole 
garden,  with  the  symmetry  of  its  arrangements,  and  the  beauty 
of  its  various  parts  and  ornaments.  By  intruding  a  little  on 
the  privacy  of  the  windows,  it  involves  a  trifling  disadvantage ; 
though  it  will  be  seen,  by  experiment,  that  a  walk  close  to  the 
windows  occasions  less  opportunity  for  overlooking  than  one 
which  is  a  few  yards  distant.  If  the  nature  of  the  ground 
will  allow,  a  small  flower-garden,  of  the  most  formal  descrip- 
tion, may  be  made  on  the  same  level  as  the  house ;  but,  in 
limited  places,  it  will  usually  be  more  appropriate  below  the 
terrace  bank.  The  remaining  parts  can  be  filled  in  as  circum- 
stances may  direct ;  only,  if  the  garden  be  not  large,  a  low 
architectural  wall,  either  with  or  without  the  addition  of  vases 
and  urns,  or  relieved  simply  by  piers,  will  be  the  fittest 
boundary  fence  along  the  front. 

The  walks  of  a  formal  garden  should  always  either  be  straight, 
or  some  segment  of  a  circle ;  the  former  being  the  best.  Their 
width  must  be  adjusted  to  the  length.  A  straight  walk  ought, 
perhaps,  to  be  made  broader  than  a  curved  one,  as  it  will  gain 
in  dignity  thereby ;  and,  in  a  geometrical  garden,  walks  have  to 


THE   FOEMAL   STYLE. 


101 


be  regarded  as  one  of  the  principal  features.  Width,  however, 
invariably  reduces  the  length ;  so  that  the  perfection  of  art 
will  lie  in  balancing  the  two  ;  both  length  and  width  being 
abstractly  desirable.  Unless  with  long  walks,  the  introduc- 
tion of  basins,  sun-dials,  or  other  figures,  into  their  centre, 
where  another  walk  crosses  them,  however  effective  such  things 
may  be  in  themselves,  cannot  be  commended,  since  they  con- 
tribute greatly  to  shorten  the  apparent  length,  by  breaking  it 
up  into  two  parts,  and  preventing  the  eye  from  ranging  unin- 
terruptedly along  it.  Still,  in  very  small  places,  a  group  of 
shrubs  for  the  centre  figure  may  enlarge  the  garden  in  appear- 
ance, by  concealing  the  shortness  of  the  straight  walk. 

No  straight  walk  should  pass  off  from  another  in  an  oblique 
line,  or  at  any  but  a  right  angle,  as  in  fig.  36.     The  oblique 


Fi£.  36. 


walks  common  in  the  old  Dutch  style,  once  so  prevalent  in 
England,  were  only  fit  for  large  places,  where  they  were  main- 
tained by  avenues.  In  small  gardens  they  would  cut  up  the 
lawn  seriously,  and  offensively  intrude  themselves  upon  the 
vision.  Indeed,  they  are  not  adapted  to  the  Italian  style  of 
gardening,  which  is  that  chiefly  kept  in  view.  In  connexion 
with  very  old  English  Gothic  houses,  or  with  those  of  the  reign 
of  Queen  Anne  and  the  first  Hanoverian  sovereigns,   oblique 


102  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

walks,  if  supported  by  the  quaint  devices  and  clipped  plants 
common  at  that  period,  may  be  consistent.  That  style,  how- 
ever, does  not  suit  modern  houses. 

Every  straight  walk  ought  to  have  an  appropriate  termi- 
nation, either  in  the  way  of  an  architectural  object,  or  of  an 
evergreen  plant  that  takes  a  regular  and  symmetrical  shape. 
This  is  essential  to  preserve  the  tone  of  art,  to  give  the  walk 
an  object  or  design,  and  to  justify  any  divergence  from  it  into 
another  walk.  The  ruling  and  blighting  defect  of  gardens  in 
which  straight  walks  occur,  is  that  the  ends  of  the  walks  are 
often  left  quite  open,  and  unfurnished.  When  they  merely 
surround  the  house,  or  exist  only  on  one  or  more  of  its  sides, 
such  accompaniments  are  not  of  so  much  consequence,  and 
may  sometimes  be  omitted  with  advantage  as  well  as  pro- 
priety. Still,  a  terrace  walk  in  the  front  of  a  house  ought 
always  to  have  some  stone  or  other  seat,  or  covered  arbour,  or 
similar  architectural  finish  at  its  blank  end,  if  it  has  one.  Vases, 
statues,  seats,  alcoves,  temples,  urns,  sun-dials,  or  mere  orna- 
mental pedestals,  or  any  architectural  form  that  has  some 
little  elevation  above  the  surface,  will  give  a  sufficient  obstruc- 
tion to  the  end  of  a  walk.  Of  the  plants  suited  for  the  same 
purpose,  Rhododendrons  are,  perhaps,  the  best.  The  Portugal 
laurel  is  also  good,  and  the  Sweet  Bay,  and  the  broad-leaved 
Holly.  Of  larger  kinds,  the  Yew,  or  either  of  the  Cedars,  or 
the  Hemlock  Spruce,  or  the  Douglas  Fir,  will  be  appropriate. 
All  upright  and  slender  forms  are  ill  adapted  to  the  object, 
being  too  narrow  and  spiry. 

Masses  of  plantation  should  never  come  up  to  the  end  of  a 
walk,  (fig.  37,)  where  there  is  room  for  a  single  specimen.  They 
may  now  and  then  be  very  useful  behind  a  single  plant  or  an 
architectural  figure.  But  the  sorts  immediately  behind  a 
specimen  should  be  deciduous,  if  it  is  evergreen,  and  contrast 
with  it  both  in  colour  and  form,  to  give  it  more  prominence  and 
relief;  while  those  at  the  back  of  a  stone-coloured  ornament 
ought  to  be  evergreens  of  the  darkest  hue,  for  a  similar  reason. 
This  must  be  understood,  however,  as  far  from  meaning  that 


THE   FORMAL    STYLE. 


103 


a  plantation  at  the  end  of  a  straight  walk,  even  behind  another 
object,  is  necessarily  a  good  thing.  An  open  space,  where  the 
eye  can  roam  on  into  the  field  or  country,  (fig.  38,)  will  often 


Figs.  37,  38. 

be  much  more  pleasing ;  the  principal  walk,  in  both  these  ex- 
amples, having  a  seat  to  stop  it,  and  to  form  the  cause  of  diver- 
gence. The  above  hints  about  such  plantations  are  founded  on 
the  assumption  that  these  will  oftentimes  be  indispensable 
to  cover  a  boundary  fence.  When  the  space  opposite  the  end 
of  the  walk  can  be  left  open  behind  whatever  is  placed  as 
a  terminating  object,  care  should  be  taken  to  prevent  the  eye 
from  being  conducted  directly  to  a  boundary  Avail,  or  fence,  or 
hedge  in  the  field  ;  for  should  the  line  lead  on  to  such  a  point, 
it  must  be  stopped  by  a  few  trees  or  bushes,  or  a  mass  of  plan- 
tation. If  the  view  into  the  country  be  a  matter  worth  attain- 
ing, some  low  bushes,  over  which  the  eye  can  travel,  will  be 
enough  to  block  out  the  fence ;  and  a  telescopic  sort  of  peep 
into  the  country  along  a  straight  walk,  which  is  possibly 
furnished  with  specimen  plants  on  either  side,  so  as  to  narrow 
the  vista,  mil  sometimes  be  exceedingly  fine.  Whatever  is 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  walk  under  these  circumstances, 
should  always  be  low  and  easily  seen  over. 

A  semicircular  end  to  a  straight  walk,  where  it  is  to  have  an 
architectural   finishing  object,   (fig.  39,)  will  not  be  without 


104 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 


effect  in  relieving  the  line,  and  starting  it  more  naturally  in 
another  direction.     The  vase,  or  whatever  is  used,  will  of 


Tigs.  39,  40. 

course  stand  at  the  apex  of  the  curve,  (fig.  40,)  on  the  grass ;  or 
a  semicircular  seat,  to  fit  the  curved  end  of  the  walk,  may  be  a 
still  better  termination.  To  justify  a  change  of  direction  in 
straight  walks,  and  soften  the  abruptness  of  turning  them  off 
at  right  angles,  a  vase,  or  something  similar,  may  be  put  just 
in  the  centre,  (figs.  41  and  42,)  where  the  middles  of  the  two 


Figs.  41,  42. 

walks  would  cut  each  other,  and  the  space  which  such  an  object 
would  abstract  from  the  walk  be  added  to  the  latter  all  round, 


THE    FORMAL   STYLE. 


105 


so  as  to  produce  a  sort  of  small  square  or  circle,  of  which  the 
vase  is  the  centre.  The  insertion  of  a  group  of  statuary  in  a 
similar  position,  (fig.  43,)  with  or  without  an  architectural  canopy, 
or  the  introduction  of  any  bold  architectural  object,  or  of  a 


Figs.  43,  44. 

basin  of  water,  (fig.  44,)  which  may  take  an  octagonal  or  any 
regular  form,  and  have  a  fountain  in  it  or  not  at  pleasure,  will 
present  other  modes  of  dealing  with  a  similar  case.  A  good 
shrub  might  even  be  substituted  for  any  of  these,  (figs.  45  and  46,) 


Figs.  45,  46. 

though  this  would  not  be  so  satisfactory,  as  it  would  require  a 
grass  verge  round  it,  which  ought  to  be  circular,  to  prevent  its 


106 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


corners  from  being  destroyed  by  trampling.  In  fig.  45,  the 
case  of  a  broad  walk,  which  diverges,  at  its  end,  into  two  nar- 
rower walks,  leaving  it  at  right  angles,  is  supposed ;  while  fig. 
46  shows  how  a  similar  central  shrub  or  group  of  shrubs  may 
be  used  to  stop  a  straight  walk,  and  start  it  anew  in  a  curved 
direction. 

Fig.  47  provides  another  method  of  ending  a  straight  walk, 
and  turning  it  off"  to  the  right  and  left,  by  the  use  of  an  open 
summer  house,  or  a  small  temple,  or  an  aviary,  at  the  junction 


Figs.  47,  48. 

of  the  three  walks;  and  this  erection  maybe  circular,  or  octa- 
gonal, or  of  any  other  regular  figure,  and  may  have  the  walk 
passing  through  or  around  it.  In  fig.  48,  the  terminating 
object  may  be  either  a  bold  stone  seat,  or  a  covered  seat  or 
alcove,  or  a  vase  or  group  of  statuary  on  a  pedestal,  or  anything 
of  an  architectural  character  that  does  not  thrust  itself  into  the 
lateral  walks.  And  though  these  illustrations  by  no  means 
exhaust  the  subject,  they  may  help  to  give  additional  clearness 
and  force  to  the  recommendations  in  the  text. 

Angular  beds  and  masses  appear,  at  first  sight,  to  be  abso- 
lutely demanded  in  a  garden  where  straight  lines  and  archi- 
tectural figures  are  so  general.  And  this  view  may  hold  good 
in  the  main  with  relation  to  the  details  of  a  flower-garden  in  the 
close  vicinity  of  the  house.  But  the  various  forms  and  modifi- 
cations of  the  circle  are  not  merely  objectionable  in  archi- 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE.  107 

tecture  ;  for  they  constitute  its  most  beautiful  features,  as  any- 
one may  perceive  who  will  take  the  trouble  to  investigate  the 
matter.  And  it  is  such  forms  that  are  peculiarly  appropriate  in 
architectural  gardening,  when  only  the  materials  of  Nature  are 
dealt  with.  It  may  even  be  questioned,  too,  where  there  is  a 
possibility  of  choice  between  oblong  or  square  figures,  and  such 
as  embrace  any  variety  of  the  circle,  whether  the  latter  are 
not  decidedly  more  characteristic  for  garden  decoration.  It  is 
pretty  certain  that  they  are  most  beautiful,  and  that  vegetable 
forms,  with  which  they  have  to  be  associated,  almost  invariably 
incline  more  to  roundness  than  angularity. 

At  any  rate,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  figures  cut  in  grass, 
and  standing  more  or  less  by  themselves,  or  in  rows,  are  more 
elegant,  and  more  conveniently  filled,  and  more  easily  preserved, 
if  circular,  than  such  as  have  angles  in  them ;  while  they  are  at 
least  as  much  in  harmony  with  the  formal  style  of  gardening. 
For  single  specimens,  therefore,  and  for  separate  beds  or  groups, 
they  are  clearly  to  be  preferred ;  and  being  susceptible  of  con- 
siderable variation  as  regards  size,  much  may  be  done  with 
them.  But  oval  figures  or  oblong  shapes  with  circular  ends, 
or  numerous  combinations  of  curved  lines  uniting  at  an  angle, 
will,  if  symmetrical,  be  more  garden-like  than  purely  angular 
ones,  and  will  give  more  diversity.  The  chief  requirement  is, 
that  they  should  be  regular ;  that  is,  that  their  several  parts 
should  balance  and  correspond. 

That  some  more  definite  notion  maybe  communicated  of  the 
way  in  which  flower-beds  can  be  arranged  along  the  sides  of  a 


@      @       ® 


Fig.  49. 

walk,  a  series  of  examples  is  now  given,  commencing  with  the 
simplest,  (fig.  49,)  which  is  a  mere  double  row  of  plain  circular 


108 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


beds,  the  diameter  of  which  may  be  from  four  to  six  feet  each, 
and  their  distance,  from  centre  to  centre,  ten  to  fifteen  feet. 
In  this,  and  all  the  following  instances,  however,  the  beds  will 
be  equally  adapted  for  putting  in  a  single  row,  along  only  one 
side  of  a  walk,  if  the  circumstances  demand  such  an  arrange- 
ment.  In  fig.  50  the  same  form  of  bed  receives  a  little  diversity 


Pig.  50. 

by  having  specimen  plants,  in  small  circles,  alternating  with  the 
flower-beds.  And  a  good  deal  of  variety,  again,  might  be  given 
to  this  treatment  by  the  choice  of  the  plants  used  for  such  a 
purpose.  If  the  lines  of  beds  form  a  vista  to  one  of  the  princi- 
pal windows  of  the  house,  and  do  not  run  across  any  important 
range  of  view,  such  plants  as  Irish  Yews,  Irish  Junipers,  stand- 
ard Roses,  and  others  of  similar  habits,  either  alone  or  alter- 
nating with  those  of  a  distinct  character,  will  be  suitable.  But 
when  the  beds  take  an  opposite  direction,  it  is  necessary  to  use 
only  dwarf  shrubs  in  them,  that  they  may  not  intercept  or 
chequer  the  view  too  much.  Still,  even  here,  deciduous  plants 
may  alternate  with  evergreens,  dark-foliaged  shrubs  with  pale 
green  or  variegated  kinds;  and  variety  may  be  secured  in 
these  and  many  similar  ways. 

The  square  beds  in  fig.  51  introduce  us  to  a  fresh  type  of 


Pi?.  51. 


form,  and,  th— gh  not  so  beautiful  as  the  circles,  may,  in  certain 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE. 


109 


situations,  contribute  an  important  element  of  character.  The 
lines  of  their  sides,  too,  correspond  with  the  lines  of  the  walk. 
And  in  some  instances,  small  intermediate  circles,  filled  with 
shrubs,  might,  as  with  the  round  flower-beds,  vary  and  heighten 
the  effect,  without  producing  any  incongruity.  Further 
variety  is  attained  in  fig.  52,  by  the  adoption  of  oblong  beds, 


Fig.  52. 

about  twice  the  length  of  their  breadth,  with  semicircular  ends, 
and  having  smaller  circular  flower-beds,  and  circles  for  speci- 
men shrubs,  placed  alternately  between  them.  Either  of  the 
preceding  forms  is  adapted  for  associating  with  any  plain  and 
simple  style  of  house,  which  approximates  to  the  Roman  or 
Italian  school. 
"The  next  kind  of  beds  (fig.  53)  has  the  same  oblong  figure, 


Fig.  53. 

but  with  the  ends  squared,  and  the  corners  struck  off  in  the 
form  of  an  inverted  quarter  circle,  specimen  plants  occurring 


Fig.  54. 
regularly  between  them.     This  class  is  fitted  for  accompanying 


110  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

either  Italian  or  Gothic  architecture.  To  the  latter  style  alone 
the  beds  in  fig.  54  belong;  their  only  difference  from  those 
which  precede  them  being  that  the  corners  are  cut  off  at  an 
angle  of  forty-five,  instead  of  making  part  of  a  circle*  The 
larger  beds  in  fig.  55  take  a  sort  of  barrel  shape,  with  the  ends 


Pig.  55. 

square,  but  the  sides  slightly  curved  outwards ;  the  same  pro- 
portion in  regard  to  the  length  and  breadth  being  preserved. 
The  intermediate  beds  are  alternately  for  flowers  and  shrubs, 
both  being  circular,  and  the  circles  being  designedly  less  in 
diameter  than  the  oblong  beds,  to  avoid  tameness  and  mono- 
tony.    This  figure  and  fig.  56,  the  ends  of  the  oblong  beds  in 


Fig.  56. 


the  latter  being  struck  from  the  centres  of  the  intermediate 
circles,  and  these  last  being  of  the  same  width  as  the  larger 
beds  themselves,  may  be  employed  in  connexion  with  any  plain 
house;  as  may  also  fig.  57,  where  the  chief  beds  are  plain 


Fig.  57. 


parallelograms,    w'th    straight   sides   and    ends,   the    circles 
between  having  a  shrub  and  flowers  in  every  other  one. 


THE  FORMAL  STYLE. 


Ill 


An  advance  to  a  more  decided  tone  of  art  is  made  in  fi<r.  58, 
the  pointed  ends  and  diamond-shaped  secondary  beds  in  which 


Fig.  58. 

take  a  character  which  can  only  assimilate  with  Gothic  architec- 
ture. And  the  same  may  be  said  of  fig.  59,  which  is  but  a 
modification  of  its  predecessor,  the  ends  being  parts  of  circles 


Fig.  59. 

instead  of  being  purely  angular.  It  should  be  noted,  however, 
that  this  last  example  is  produced  mainly  to  point  out  the  way 
in  which  variety  may  be  achieved ;  as  the  extremely  acute 
corners  of  the  beds  would  be  difficult  both  to  fill  and  to  keep  in 
their  proper  shape.     Fig.  60,  in  which  a  semicircular  lobe  is 


Fig.  60. 

attached  to  each  end  of  the  principal  oblong  beds,  is  more  suited 
for  the  Italian  manner,  and  would  yield  some  little  additional 
novelty,  because  the  small  ends  of  the  beds  would  just  accommo- 
date one  or  three  plants  of  a  striking  kind,  to  contrast  with  the 
other  occupants  of  the  bed.      Any  of  the  more  remarkable 


112 


GENERAL  PRINCIPLES. 


variegated  Geraniums  would  be  admirably  fitted  for  such  a 
situation. 

By  presenting  a  rounded  side*  to  the  lawn,  and  a  flat  side  to 
the  walk,  half-spherical  beds  in  fig.  61  accommodate  themselves 


Fig.  61. 

to  the  openness  of  the  one,  and  the  straightness  of  the  other. 
Fig.  62  shows  beds  of  a  kind  of  chrysalis  form,  which  would  be 


Fig.  62. 

easily  filled,  and  would  be  suitable  for  the  sides  of  any  walk 
where  ease  and  gracefulness  of  line,  rather  than  rigid  formality, 
is  sought.  Nearly  the  same  shape,  but  of  somewhat  enlarged 
dimensions,  is  repeated  in  fig.  63,  the  beds  being  severed  into 


Fig.  63. 

two  parts  by  the  introduction  of  small  circles,  for  alternate 
flowers  and  specimens ;  and  this  plan,  while  offering  less  of 
continuity  than  the  previous  one,  admits  of  the  employment  of 
a  greater  number  and  variegation  of  colours. 

Still  further  progression  in  the  scale  of  design  is  made  in 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE. 


113 


figs.  64  to  67,  where  the  leading  beds  are  divided  into  three 
members.   A  prominent  centre,  with  two  narrower  ends,  marks 


Fig  64. 


the  peculiarity  of  figs.  64  and  65,  the  difference  being  that  the 


Fig.  65. 


middle  portion  is  square  and  the  ends  more  attenuated  and 
pointed  in  64  ;  while  the  centre  is  round,  and  the  lobes  broader 


Fig.  66. 


and  bolder  in  65.     Fig.  66,  again,  is  composed  of  a  narrow 


Fia  67. 


oblong  centre,  and  two  larger  square  ends,  all  the  lines  being 
quite  straight  and  rectangular ;  whereas,  in  fig.  67,  which  is  on 


114 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


the  same  general  basis,  the  two  ends  of  the  large  beds  are  cir- 
cular. Either  of  these  four  figures,  but  especially  the  last  two, 
would  be  of  service  where  a  sort  of  running  border  of  flowers  is 
desired.  In  respect  of  the  beds  with  pointed  ends,  however,  it 
may  be  suggested  that  the  specimens  placed  between  them 
should  be  of  the  dwarfest  and  most  trailing  habits. 
An  additional  step  in  the  way  of  variety  is  made  at  fig.  68, 


Fig.  68. 

where  the  ends  of  the  beds  are  turned  to  the  walk,  and  a  more 
flowing  outline  occasioned.  Very  small  shrubs  are  likewise 
inserted  in  the  circular  ends  of  each  alternate  bed.  And  if  beds 
of  this  pattern  cannot  be  much  commended,  on  account  of  the 
trouble  demanded  to  fill  them  nicely,  and  to  keep  them  correctly 
cut  out,  they  may  yet  be  useful  in  making  a  species  of  scroll- 
like fringe  to  a  walk,  where  only  one  description  of  plant  (such 
as  Verbenas  of  different  colours)  is  intended  to  be  grown  in 


Ei°r.  69. 


them     The  next  plan  (fig.  69)  is  both  simpler  and  more  artistic ; 
and  the  ends  of  the  beds  might  be  made  square,  if  preferred,  to 


THE  FORMAL  STYLE. 


115 


adapt  them  more  thoroughly  to  the  line  of  the  walk.  Figs. 
70,  71,  and  72  belong  to  a  more  elaborate  class,  and  may  appro- 
priately finish  the  series.  The  first  of  them  could  easily  be 
varied  by  squaring  or  rounding  the  ends  of  those  beds  which 


stand  at  a  right  angle  with  the  walk.  The  shrubs  shown  in  the 
circles  must,  of  course,  be  of  the  smallest  description,  and 
should  be  upright-growing,  if  possible,  to  keep  them  from  being 
injured  by  the  summer  flowers.  Probably  the  dwarf  Box, 
trained  and  kept  regularly  clipped  into  the  shape  of  a  thin  cone, 
would  be  most  serviceable.     In  fig.  71,  a  strict  adherence  to  the 


Fie.  11. 


line  of  the  walk  is  maintained  in  the  flower-beds,  and  a  similar 
conformity  is  observed  in  fig.  72,  some  little  play  of  margin 
being  accomplished  by  the  interposition  of  dwarf  shrubs  at 
regular  intervals. 

It  will  be  obvious  that  specimens  of  this  character  might  be 
multiplied  to  an  almost  infinite  extent,  if  any  sufficient  object 
could  be  served  by  their  introduction.  In  those  already  given, 
however, — and  which  are  intended  rather  as  hints  than  as 


116 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


models, — the  reader  will  probably  find  enough  of  suggestive- 
ness  to  render  a  further  instalment  unnecessary. 


Fig.  T2. 

Towards  the  outside  of  a  formal  garden,  or  in  parts  sufficiently 
separated  from  the  house,  or  from  the  view  obtained  at  its  prin- 
cipal front,  there  will  be  little  objection  to  the  use  of  masses  of 
plants,  with  a  more  irregular  outline,  or  specimens  scattered 
about  in  the  mixed  style ;  provided  a  kind  of  connexion  be 
kept  up  by  the  help  of  circular  or  other  regular  beds  in  the 
centre  or  at  the  corners  of  such  compartments,  or,  when  irre- 
gular lines  are  adopted  as  a  fringe  round  the  boundary,  they 
are  made  as  inconspicuous  as  possible  from  the  house,  and  do 
not  thrust  themselves  into  notice  anywhere,  or  weaken  the  effect 
of  the  more  artistic  parts.  They  will  not  disturb  the  harmony 
of  the  place  unless  they  are  obtruded. 

One  most  important  requirement  in  a  formal  garden  is,  that 
the  ground  should  be  quite  smooth  and  level.  No  undulations 
or  unevenness  of  surface  can  be  for  a  moment  allowed.  Regular 
and  easy  slopes,  or  dead  levels,  are  as  essential  as  straight  lines 
in  a  house  or  in  the  walks.  A  perfectly  flat  surface  is  un- 
questionably the  best  for  the  purpose,  as  the  lines  will  appear 
longer.  When  a  line  slopes  away  from  the  point  of  view,  it  is, 
to  some  extent,  foreshortened. 

If  the  ground  should,  by  any  unfortunate  chance,  rise  as  it 
recedes  from  the  house,  it  may  be  kept  flat  to  as  great  a  width 
as  is  possible,  and  then  be  formed  into  one  or  more  terrace- 


THE   FOEMAL    STYLE. 


117 


banks,  (fig.  73,)  as  it  may  require ;  the  walks  to  be  carried  up 
these  banks  by  flights  of  steps,  and  the  change  of  level  effected 


Fig.  IB. 

by  grassy  slopes,  or  by  low  architectural  walls.  The  latter  of 
these  is  represented  by  fig.  74,  and  the  former  will  be  seen  in 
fig.  73. 


'"-■  -  A>/ 


Fig.  74. 


When,  in  addition  to  a  slope  from  the  house  downwards,  or 
apart  from  it,  the  ground  also  slants  naturally  in  a  cross 
direction,  this  will  demand  some  modification.  As  far  at  least 
as  either  of  the  main  fronts  of  the  house  is  concerned,  the 
ground,  to  the  full  breadth  of  those  fronts,  and  of  any  addi- 
tional terrace-bank  by  which  they  may  be  supported,  must  be 
brought  into  a  perfectly  level  platform.  There  should  be  no 
cross  slopes, — no  oblique  inclination  of  the  ground  in  a  direction 
parallel  with  the  front  of  the  house.  The  level  basement-line 
of  the  house  would  in  no  way  accord  with  a  diagonal  or  sloping 
line  in  the  ground ;  the  latter  being  sadly  out  of  harmony  with 


118 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


the  squareness  of  the  style.     Indeed,  the  side  of  a  house  out  of 
the  perpendicular  would  be  scarcely  less  incorrect. 

From  these  observations,  it  will  appear  that  where  ground 
slopes  across  a  lawn,  and  parallel  with  the  front  of  the  house, 
it  should,  in  consistency  with  the  formal  style,  be  reduced  to  a 
dead  level,  as  far  as  the  front  of  the  house  or  its  terrace  extends. 
(See  fig.  75,  in  which  the  dotted  line  indicates  the  supposed 


Fig.  15. 

natural  level  of  the  ground,  and  the  shaded  line  the  level  to 
which  it  should  be  reduced.)  The  change  of  level  from  this 
j)oint,  in  a  line  taken  precisely  at  a  right  angle  from  the  house 
across  the  garden,  should  be  effected,  whether  ground  rises  or 
descends,  by  a  terrace-bank  of  grass,  the  upper  edge  of  which 
is  kept  quite  square ;  or  by  a  low  wall ;  carrying  the  walks  up 
or  down  either  by  flights  of  steps.  The  steps  resulting  from 
any  such  alteration  of  levels,  will,  if  rightly  treated,  and 
adorned  with  small  vases,  materially  contribute  to  sustain  the 
general  character  of  the  place ;  though  they  should  never  be 
without  more  or  less  massive  edgings  or  kerbs  of  stone,  or 
some  living  substitute  for  these  in  the  way  of  low  dense  ever- 
green hedges.  Any  extreme  slope  of  the  ground  away  from 
the  house  can  be  converted  into  terraces,  as  suggested  for 
rising  ground.  But  many  terraces  on  a  descending  slope 
ought  not  to  be  used  unless  really  necessary ;  for  they  serve 
to  lessen  the  apparent  size  of  the  place. 

Water,  if  admitted  at  all  into  the  geometrical  style,  takes  the 
shape  of  basins  with  an  architectural  rim,  or  fountains,  or  larger 


THE   FORMAL    STYLE. 


119 


pools  that  have  sculptured  figures  along  their  margins,  or  very 
artificial  cascades.  Regularity  of  outline  will,  as  in  other  things, 
be  the  leading  characteristic  of  all  such  pieces  of  water.  They 
may  be  circular  or  square,  oblong,  oval,  hexagonal,  octagonal,  or 
of  various  shapes,  as  described  for  flower  beds  and  masses.  But 
they  must  not  be  irregular.  Fountains,  which  merely  gurgle 
out  the  water,  or  throw  it  up  only  a  few  inches,  in  the  midst  of 
round  or  octagonal  basins  having  a  stone  margin,  are  in  the 
highest  degree  appropriate  and  classical.  And  here  it  is  worth 
while  noting  that  simple  figures  of  this  or  other  kinds  in  stone, 
with  little  or  no  aid  of  ornament  beyond  a  good  shape,  will  be 
more  esteemed  by  those  capable  of  judging  than  the  most 
elaborate  plaster  decorations. 

The  sketches  which  follow,  (figs.  76  to  82,)  may  aid  in  pointing 


Figs.  76,  77. 

out  a  few  of  the  forms  into  which  basins  of  water  can  be  thrown, 
the  thick  rim  around  them  signifying  a  margin  of  stone,  moulded 
in  various  ways,  according  to  the  prevailing  style  of  the  garden 
in  which  they  are  placed.  Figs.  76,  77,  and  82  would  adapt 
themselves  to  any  Gothic  house.  Figs.  78  and  79,  from  the 
roundness  of  all  their  outlines,  are  better  suited  to  any  garden 
approaching  the  Italian.  Of  a  somewhat  intermediate  stage, 
and  capable  of  being  used  with  almost  any  style  of  house,  are 


120 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


figs.  80  and  81.  And  these  might  be  rendered  more  ornate,  if 
requisite,  by  the  insertion  of  blocks,  at  the  apex  of  some  of 
their  curves,  to  receive  vases  or  small  sculptured  figures.     If 


Figs.  78,  19. 

fountains,  again,  be  added  to  any  of  these,  the  principal  jet  or 
cluster  of  jets  should  certainly  be  in  the  centres,  but  smaller 


Fig.  80. 

jets  might,  if  required,  be  put  in  each  of  the  minor  bays  that 
curve  outward.  On  the  other  hand,  if  jets  be  wanted  in  fig.  82, 
there  should  be  one  in  the  centre  of  each  of  the  projecting  arms 
of  the  basin,  and  none  in  any  other  part. 

As  constituting  a  peculiarly  fitting  adjunct  to  a  formal  garden, 
especially  in  near  association  with  the  house,  and  when  the  latter 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE. 


121 


is  several  feet  above  the  level  of  the  general  lawn,  large  raised 
flower  beds,  supported  by  low  ornamental  walls  of  stone,  may 


occasionally  be  introduced.  The  figs.  83  to  87  will  just  furnish 
a  suggestion  or  two  regarding  the  shapes  which  such  beds  may 
be  made  to  take.     The  stone  walls  may  be  about  two  feet  six 


Fig.  82. 

inches  to  three  feet  high,  moulded  and  ornamented  according 
to  the  peculiarities  of  style  in  the  house,  and  rising  about  one 

G 


122 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


or  two  inches  above  the  level  of  the  soil  in  the  beds.  These 
latter  can  either  be  filled  with  one  or  several  sorts  of  bold- 
growing  flowers,  and  the  flowers  in  them  may  even  be  arranged 
in  patterns,  with  one  sort  and  colour  to  each  division ;  or  they 


Figs.  83,  84 

may  be  mixed  together  promiscuously,  with  a  due  general  regard 
to  colour.  In  gardens  which  affect  the  Italian  or  Elizabethan 
manner,  such  raised  beds  might  add  a  most  effective  feature. 

All  architectural  forms  used  in  adorning  a  garden  should  be 
furnished  with  a  proper  pedestal,  the  height^  breadth,    and 


Figs.  85,  86. 

enrichment  of  which,  must  bear  a  due  proportion  to  the  dimen- 
sions and  character  of  the  objects  to  be  exhibited  upon  it.  To 
place  a  sculptured  figure  on  grass  or  gravel,  without  a  plinth  or 
pedestal,  or  to  throw  up  rude  stones,  or  pebbles,  or  boulders 
around  a  small  mound   of  earth  made  for  receiving:  it,  is  as 


THE   FORMAL   STYLE. 


123 


barbarous  as  if  similar  things,  such  as  goblets,  porcelain  or 
alabaster  vases  and  ornaments,  were  left  standing  on  the  floor 
of  a  house.     A  pedestal  may  be  perfectly  plain,  and  of  inex- 


Fig.  87. 

pensive  materials,  properly  coloured.  It  can  never  be  dispensed 
with.  And  herein  will  be  most  apparent  the  difference  between 
real  taste  and  love  of  ornament ;  persons  who  have  only  the 
latter  sticking  a  quantity  of  figures  about  their  grounds,  on  the 
bare  grass  or  gravel,  without  any  support. 

Enough  has,  however,  been  said  respecting  the  formal  style 
to  show  how  and  under  what  conditions  it  can  be  best  adopted. 
I  now  turn  to  the  mixed  and  more  pliant  manner,  in  which, 
while  the  aid  of  art  is  still  sought  and  valued,  more  of  the 
freedom  and  licence  of  Nature  are  courted. 

Serpentine  or  wavy  lines  maybe  regarded  as  the  characteristic 
features  of  the  mixed  style.  Its  object  is  beauty  of  lines,  and 
general  variety.  Roundness,  smoothness,  freedom  from  angu- 
larity, and  grace  rather  than  dignity  or  grandeur,  are  among  its 
numerous  indications.  It  does  not  reject  straight  lines  entirely 
near  the  house,  or  in  connexion  with  a  flower-garden,  or  a  rosery, 
or  a  subordinate  building  (as  a  greenhouse)  that  has  a  separate 
piece  of  garden  to  it.  Nor  does  it  refuse  to  borrow  from  the 
picturesque  in  regard  to  the  arrangement  and  grouping  of  plants. 
It  is  a  blending  of  Art  with  Nature, — an  attempt  to  interfuse 
the  two  ;  or  to  produce  something  intermediate  between  the 
pure  state  of  either,  which  shall  combine  the  vagaries  of  the  one 


124  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

with  the  regularity  of  the  other,  and  appropriate  the  most 
agreeable  elements  of  both.  It  has  all  the  grace  of  nature 
without  its  ruggedness ;  and  the  refinement  of  art  apart  from 
its  stiffness  and  severity. 

So  many  of  the  peculiarities  of  this  style  have  been  incident- 
ally described,  under  various  heads,  that  little  remains  to  be 
added  on  the  subject.  Intricacy,  every  species  of  variety,  in- 
definiteness,  extension  of  apparent  boundaries,  polish,  and  con- 
nexion, are  specially  its  own  traits.  Some  would  consider  the 
treatment  of  each  plant  as  a  specimen,  a  distinctive  feature  of 
this  style ; — a  definition  by  no  means  to  be  relied  on.  Thickets 
and  dense  masses,  in  which  the  individuality  of  plants  is  much 
lost,  may,  it  is  true,  more  properly  belong  to  the  picturesque ; 
yet  they  are  things  which,  in  common  with  many  others,  the 
mixed  style  liberally  adopts  from  its  neighbour,  and  tempers 
and  modifies  in  a  manner  entirely  its  own.  Specimens  on  lawns 
and  in  borders  are,  avowedly,  very  powerful  elements  in  the 
present  branch  of  gardening.  But  they  are  not  so  potent,  or  so 
essential,  or  so  prevailing,  as  waviness  of  lines. 

Extreme  naturalness  is  the  distinctive  mark  of  the  picturesque. 
It  repudiates  all  art,  or  employs  it  solely  in  order  to  weaken  or 
annihilate  it.  There  is  nothing  flowing  in  its  lines,  or  soft  in  its 
forms.  As  extremes  are  said  to  meet,  so,  in  the  perfection  of 
the  formal  and  picturesque  manners,  there  is  something  in 
common.  Both  call  for  angularity  of  figure,  and  sharp  pro- 
jections. But  the  angles  of  the  one  are  according  to  rule , 
those  of  the  other  cannot  be  too  irregular.  And  while  serpen- 
tine lines  mark  the  mixed  style ;  zigzag,  broken,  rugged  lines 
(fig.  88)  stamp  the  picturesque.  It  recognises  no  symmetry, 
and  abhors  everything  allied  to  law  and  system. 

And  yet,  in  those  examples  deducible  from  the  vegetable 
kingdom  which  may  be  accounted  picturesque,  there  is  much  of 
wild  grace,  and  eccentric  softness,  and  an  indescribable  but 
charming  balance  of  parts.  Although  nothing  may  bear  the 
trammels  of  a  rule,  or  yield  to  the  fetters  of  definition  in 
language,  there  is  no  want  of  the  flowingness,  the  connexion, 


THE   PICTURESQUE   STYLE. 


125 


the  harmony,  so  ravishing  to  the  eye  ;  interrupted,  it  may  be, 
by  some  accident,  or  sudden  gap,  or  abrupt  pause  ;  but  still  full 
of  spirit,  and  eloquent  of  beauty.  For  after  all,  Nature's  forms 
lie  nearest  to  man's  heart,  and  no  devotion  to  habit  will  conjure 


Fig.  88. 

away  their  magic  power.     The  very  instincts  of  our  souls  ally 
us  to  what  is  naturally  beautiful. 

Picturesqueness  is  by  some  restricted  in  its  application  to 
whatever  is  fitted  for  being  etfectively  represented  in  pictures ; 
— that,  in  fact,  which  an  artist  would  choose  to  transfer  to  his 
canvas.  I  have  here  given  it  no  such  limited  meaning.  Possi- 
bly, however,  that  view  of  the  term  may  help  to  illustrate  and 
develop  the  sense  more  generally  attached  to  it.  For  it  is  with 
wrildness,  ruggedness,  broken  ground,  straggling  and  bold  her- 
bage, dashing  water,  fantastic  groups  of  vegetation,  the  cracked 
and  discoloured  stems  and  tortuous  branches  of  trees,  ruins 
nearly  dismantled,  except  of  the  Ivy  and  the  Fern,  rude  huts 
or  cottages  with  their  loose  and  mossy  thatch,  or  buildings 


126 


GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 


copiously  stained  by  time  and  lichen,  that  an  artist  would 
usually  prefer  to  work.  And  it  is  these  that  go  far  towards 
comprising  the  picturesqueness  of  which  I  now  treat.     As  a 


S>3  GXt/fjKyjVv&T 


Fig.  89. 

piece  of  general  landscape,  of  the  picturesque  class,  fig.  89  may 
assist  in  explaining  the  views  thus  advanced ;  while  fig.  88,  on 
a  previous  page,  will  give  an  idea  of  the  same  kind  on  a  smaller 
scale,  and  more  in  reference  to  lesser  details. 

On  the  whole,  the  mixed  style,  with  a  little  help  from  both 
the  formal  and  the  picturesque,  is  altogether  best  suited  for 
small  gardens.  And  while  the  purely  geometrical  manner  may 
be  adopted  under  favourable  conditions,  that  which  is  simply 
picturesque  can  never  be  applied  to  an  entire  place,  but  will  be 


ADAPTATION.  127 

well  worth)'  of  use  in  detached  and  retired  portions.  An  ab- 
solute adherence  to  one  style,  is  not,  therefore,  to  be  reckoned 
among  the  paramouut  virtues  of  the  art ;  but  only  one  style 
should  predominate,  and  either  of  the  others  be  quietly  intro- 
duced, and  gradually  blended,  as  subordinate  features. 

18.  Xotwithstanding  all  the  rules  hitherto  furnished,  there  is 
a  principle  yet  to  be  considered,  which  can  alone  give  them 
their  proper  weight,  and  ensure  their  being  of  any  real  use,  and 
that  is — adaptation.  In  every  place  that  can  be  met  with,  or 
conceived  of,  there  are  always  peculiarities  which  should  influ- 
ence the  disposal  of  the  various  parts,  and  give  their  cast  and 
colouring  to  the  whole  design.  And  it  is  in  the  adaptation  of 
particular  styles,  rules,  or  modes  of  treatment  to  the  circum- 
stances or  objects  actually  existing,  that  the  credit  of  the  land- 
scape gardener  and  the  satisfaction  of  the  owner  can  alone  be 
attained. 

Very  seldom  will  it  be  found  that  a  garden  is  without  some- 
thing or  other  that  may  be  regarded  as  a  fixture.  Buildings, 
and  the  position  of  their  entrances  and  windows,  trees,  swells 
or  variations  in  the  surface  of  the  ground,  external  gates  or 
entrances,  fences,  and  numberless  other  things,  may  be  already 
on  the  ground,  and  it  may  not  be  desirable  to  remove  them. 
And  the  scenery  of  the  outlying  country  will  ordinarily,  like- 
wise, be  beyond  the  reach  of  the  designer.  It  will  be  needful, 
then,  to  fit  in  every  part  of  the  plan  to  what  is  really  on  the 
ground  and  must  be  retained  there ;  not  neglecting  to  take 
advantage  of  everything  that  can  be  made  to  give  greater  effect, 
or  to  keep  out  of  sight  such  objects  as  may  be  considered  de- 
formities. Dealing  cleverly  with  difficulties,  so  as  to  leave  no 
evidence  that  they  have  had  to  be  encountered,  is  not  the  least 
or  the  lowest  merit  of  the  art ;  and,  as  I  have  frequently  heard 
remarked,  it  is  out  of  awkward  and  apparently  intractable 
irregularities  that  a  competent  designer  may  generally  manu- 
facture the  most  characteristic  and  remarkable  beauties. 

While  deliberating  on  this  subject,  the  shape  of  the  ground, 
its  aspect,  the  nature  of  its  surface,  the  wants  and  tastes  of  the 


128  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

family,  the  character  of  the  neighbourhood  and  the  probabilities 
as  to  what  it  may  become,  or  what  might  be  done  by  adjoining 
owners,  will  all  pass  under  review.  Nor  will  the  nature  of  the 
local  climate,  and  the  necessities  that  spring  out  of  that  con- 
sideration, be  forgotten.  Particular  climates  may  require  more 
shelter,  and  a  limited  selection  of  plants ;  certain  neighbour- 
hoods may  demand  extra  security  from  theft  or  other  injury  ; 
in  many  localities,  such  as  the  nearer  suburbs  of  large  towns, 
plants  that  endure  smoke  will  be  wanted,  and  the  whiter  kinds 
of  architectural  ornament  must  be  omitted  as  liable  to  get  too 
much  stained  and  blackened ;  one  family  may  prefer  sunshine, 
openness,  and  display,  another  shade,  privacy,  and  quiet  enjoy- 
ment ;  and  ugly  things  will  require  excluding,  or  fine  objects 
be  just  glanced  at  through  a  small  opening,  as  it  were  by 
stealth,  for  fear  of  admitting  what  will  offend. 

Great  natural  features  abounding  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a 
place,  especially  within  view  of  its  windows,  ought  seldom  to  be 
multiplied  within  it.  If  the  sea  or  a  large  river,  for  instance, 
be  visible  from  the  house,  it  will  seem  ridiculous  to  have  an 
artificial  pool  of  water  for  ornament  in  the  garden  or  park.  In 
the  same  manner,  should  the  district  be  a  rocky  one,  and  good 
specimens  of  rocky  scenery  be  within  sight  of  the  garden,  there 
will  be  equal  weakness  in  forming  an  artificial  rockery  within 
the  place.  The  mind  will  be  continually  instituting  compari- 
sons between  the  feebleness  of  Art's  creations,  however  well 
arranged,  and  the  nobler  forms  of  Nature,  thus  brought  into 
immediate  conjunction;  and  the  result  must  inevitably  be  to 
the  disparagement  of  the  former. 

Thrown  in  a  tract  of  country  where  a  sylvan  character  is  the 
reigning  one,  an  exception  in  the  treatment  of  a  garden  to  the 
rule  just  given  may  very  likely  be  prudent.  Here  it  will  be  the 
aim  to  blend  the  garden  as  much  as  possible  with  the  outer 
district,  so  as  to  make  them  appear  one  property ;  only  giving 
to  the  garden  the  warmth  of  evergreens,  and  the  cultivation 
which  rarer  plants  will  express,  as  a  foreground  to  the  larger 
scene.    It  is  a  very  great  point  to  adapt  the  garden  so  to  the 


FITNESS   AND   APPROPRIATION.  129 

surrounding  scenery  that  there  is  no  break  to  its  apparent 
continuity. 

Perhaps  a  small  garden  in  the  outskirts  of  a  town  should  have 
more  flowering-plants  and  flowers  cultivated  in  it  than  would 
be  wanted  in  the  country ;  as  flowers  are  much  valued,  and 
produce  a  more  delightful  contrast  in  such  situations.  It  is 
very  doubtful,  however,  how  far  training  climbers  to  town- 
houses,  in  the  cottage  or  village  style,  is  accordant  with  good 
taste,  especially  as  they  seldom  look  healthy,  or  flower  freely. 
Consistently  with  a  good  supply  of  flowering  plants,  moreover, 
a  town  garden  cannot  well  have  too  many  evergreens,  for  they 
produce  liveliness  and  verdure  at  a  season  of  the  year  when,  in 
towns,  the  most  leaden  dulness  often  reigns  in  the  atmosphere. 

19.  Fitness  is  a  variety  of  adaptation  that  has  little  claim  to 
be  regarded  by  itself;  and  yet  it  will  suggest  another  thought. 
A  thing  may  or  may  not  exhibit  fitness  for  accomplishing  its 
intention.  It  may  be  unhappily  conceived,  or  carelessly 
executed.  There  might  be  a  deficiency  of  right  feeling  dis- 
played in  it.  The  expression  of  a  place  might  be  unfitted  to 
the  character  and  habits  of  its  owner.  Its  style  may  be  too 
ambitious  for  its  keeping.  Certain  plants  in  it  may  be  out  of 
tone.  On  the  other  hand,  there  may  be  an  appropriateness  in 
everything,  even  the  minutest.  The  very  turf  may,  by  its 
fineness,  and  freshness,  and  smoothness,  and  freedom  from 
coarse  weeds,  denote  the  proprietor's  attachment  to  his  garden, 
and  elegance  of  taste ;  while  larger  matters  will  always  be  in 
the  right  place,  and  of  a  suitable  class. 

20.  Appropriation  is  an  idea  to  be  realised  in  gardening  on 
a  small  scale,  which,  though  already  more  than  once  glanced 
at,  calls  for  a  separate  elucidation.  It  is  that  appearance  of 
possessing  property  which,  though  it  may  be  continually  be- 
lied by  one's  own  consciousness,  is  productive  of  almost  as  much 
pleasure  to  the  eye,  at  least,  as  though  it  were  really  owned. 
Everyday  experience  will  confirm  the  familiarity  of  the  remark, 
that  some  individuals  glean  more  delight  from  the  opportunity 
of  inspecting  another  person's  property  than  the  owners  them- 
es 


130  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

selves.  Extensive  proprietors  of  beautiful  estates  rarely  appre- 
ciate them.  Men  generally  value  less  what  they  hold  by  no 
uncertain  tenure.  The  things  which  we  retain  on  sufferance, 
or  which  we  may  some  day  be  deprived  of,  are  those  which,  if 
we  are  not  overburdened  with  them,  we  most  earnestly  cling 
to,  and  perseveringly  admire.  And  this  tendency  is  neither 
illegitimate  nor  pernicious,  in  reference  to  natural  objects ; 
while  it  may  entail  much  innocent  gratification. 

To  cater  for  an  appetite  so  unexceptionable  is  surely  not 
beneath  the  dignity  of  art.  And  as  it  can  be  done  without 
any  great  difficulty  where  the  frontage  of  a  j)lace  is  towards 
an  open  country,  it  should  always  be  taken  among  the  esta- 
blished requirements.  The  ways  of  accomplishing  it  have  been 
before  enumerated.  But  it  may  be  observed  that  a  boundary 
fence  which  looks  most  like  that  which  would  form  the  divi- 
sion between  one  part  of  an  estate  and  another,  with  such 
groups  of  trees  and  shrubs  between  the  openings  as  would  be 
placed  to  give  a  foreground  to  the  distant  view,  even  were 
there  no  separating  fence  behind  them,  will  most  favour  the 
illusion,  and  enable  the  occupier  to  appropriate,  as  if  it  were 
his  own,  all  that  is  beautiful  in  the  general  landscape.  Even 
fences,  sheds,  cottages,  &c,  on  the  property  thus  surveyed, 
may  often  be  got  rid  of  by  a  few  specimen  plants,  placed  so  as 
to  cover  or  to  diminish  such  divisions  in  it  as  would  detract 
from  the  semblance  of  expanse  and  ownership. 

21.  Readers  who  have  travelled  with  me  thus  far  will  have 
perceived  that  I  have  had  occasion  more  than  once  to  refer  to 
nature  as  the  great  school  of  landscape  gardening.  It  may  be 
worth  while,  then,  specifically  to  inquire  how  far  the  imitation 
of  nature  is  possible  and  right.  I  profess  not  to  be  of  those  who 
would  carry  this  principle  very  far,  or  into  minor  matters.  It 
is  in  her  broader  teachings,  and  general  promptings,  that  ma- 
terials should  be  gathered  for  practical  use.  And  these,  be  it 
remembered,  will  be  solely  available  in  idealising  and  exalting 
art. 

To  regard  a  garden  otherwise  than  as  a  work  of  art,  would 


IMITATION    OF   NATURE.  131 

tend  to  a  radical  perversion  of  its  nature.  It  is  and  must 
remain  that  which  its  proximity  to  the  house  alone  enables  it 
to  be.  No  ingenuity  can  convert  it  into  a  forest  glade  or  a 
glen.  Nor  is  such  a  transformation  to  be  wished  for,  were  it 
possible,  any  more  than  that  a  dwelling  should  be  transmuted 
into  a  hut,  or  a  den,  or  a  cave.  A  garden  is  for  comfort,  and 
convenience,  and  luxury,  and  use,  as  well  as  for  making  a  beau- 
tiful picture.  It  is  to  express  civilisation,  and  care,  and  design, 
and  refinement.  It  is  for  the  growth  of  choice  flowers,  and 
the  preservation  and  culture  of  exotic  trees  and  shrubs,  with 
novel,  and  interesting,  and  curious  habits,  which  could  not  be 
reared  without  the  most  assiduous  guardianship  and  attention. 
In  these  respects,  it  is  fundamentally  different  from  all  natural 
scenes. 

Reflections  such  as  these  will  make  it  plain  that  they  who 
would  imitate  nature  in  gardens  must  do  so  in  another  way 
than  by  copying  her  piecemeal.  They  ought,  indeed,  to  be 
imitators,  but  not  copyists,  transcribing  her  spirit  and  not  her 
individual  expressions, — her  general  countenance  or  aspect,  and 
not  her  particular  features.  An  artist,  be  he  a  painter  or  a 
landscape  gardener,  or  an  amateur  in  either  branch,  should  go 
to  nature  to  study  principles,  gathering  up  snatches  of  scenery, 
and  storing  them  in  his  memory  or  his  portfolio  for  future 
adaptation  and  use.  He  should  note  all  that  pleases  him,  and 
endeavour  to  understand  how  and  why  it  influences  his  mind. 
By  thus  filling  his  brain  with  numberless  beautiful  little  pictures 
or  images,  and  his  intellect  with  the  foundations  and  sources  of 
pleasure  in  his  art,  he  will  come  from  nature  doubly  primed  to 
give  practical  utterance  to  his  imaginings,  and  prepared  to 
embody  in  a  composition  the  finer  touches  and  more  artistic 
and  spiritual  elements  which  he  has  collected  from  such  a 
variety  of  sources.  It  is  in  this  way  that  the  imitation  of 
nature  will  be  but  the  ennobling  of  art;  the  airy  elegance  and 
flying  graces  of  the  one  being  engrafted  on  the  more  substantial 
characteristics  of  the  other. 

22.  That  beauty  should  be  the  ultimate  aim  of  every  opera- 


132  GENEEAL    PEINCIPLES. 

tion  in  landscape  gardening,  may  seem  so  self-evident  a  propo- 
sition, as  almost  to  be  calculated  to  excite  a  smile.  It  is  one, 
however,  which  I  must  not  fail  to  enforce.  There  may  be 
different  opinions  as  to  what  constitutes  beauty,  and  of  what 
ingredients  it  is  made  up,  some  affirming  that  its  chief  elements 
are  those  of  form,  and  others  that  it  consists  solely  in  associ- 
ation. Without  taking  either  view  exclusively,  I  shall  assume 
that  it  is  to  be  found  in  both. 

Most  persons  will  be  agreed,  in  the  main,  as  to  what  is  really 
beautiful,  though  almost  every  one  will  have  some  kinds  of 
favouritism  and  prejudice.  Considering  the  multitudinous 
forms  of  vegetable  life,  and  the  fact  that  all  are  endowed  with 
more  or  less  attractiveness,  I  have  often  been  struck  with  the 
narrowness  of  affection  for  plants  which  is  commonly  possessed ; 
many  people  having  a  few  favourite  trees  or  shrubs,  and  pro- 
scribing nearly  all  others.  I  have  been  told  of  a  celebrated 
landscape-gardener  who  always  kept  the  nurserymen's  stock  of 
two  or  three  particular  trees  at  the  lowest  ebb,  and  could  never 
get  enough.  And  it  is  matter  of  gardening  history,  what 
thousands — probably  millions — of  his  famous  "locust-tree" 
Cobbett  spread  abroad  throughout  the  country ; — although  it  is 
now  well  understood  that,  for  all  practical  uses,  the  tree,  if 
even  it  would  yield  any  available  timber,  is  very  nearly,  if  not 
altogether,  worthless. 

But  I  cannot,  and  do  not  profess  to  comprehend,  why  gen- 
tlemen should  impoverish  their  plantations,  and  strip  their 
gardens  of  the  first  element  of  beauty,  by  cultivating  only  a  few 
particular  species  of  plants,  and  not  merely  harbouring,  but 
cherishing  a  dislike  to  all  others.  A  garden  or  plantation 
denuded  of  half  or  three-fourths  of  its  proper  ornaments,  is 
much  in  the  same  predicament  as  an  individual  with  only  a 
portion  of  his  ordinary  garments.  It  is  imperfectly  clothed, 
insufficiently  furnished,  weak  in  its  expression  of  the  beautiful. 

Beauty  of  lines  and  forms  is  possibly  less  powerful  than  that 
of  association ;  but  it  is  more  prevalent,  and  better  apprehended 
by  the  mass.     A  wavy,  or  undulating  line,  has  been  styled  the 


BEAUTY  OF  LINES  AND  FORMS.  133 

"  line  of  beauty,"  and  the  assumption  may  be  true,  as  far  as  it 
accounts  that  the  most  beautiful  of  lines.  But  in  averring  that 
there  is  no  other  Hue  at  all  beautiful,  it  is  of  course  far  wide  of 
the  truth.  Every  one  will  acknowledge  that  the  lines  in  a 
dove's  body,  when  in  full  plumage,  are  exquisitely  beautiful,  and 
that  a  circle  is  one  of  the  most  pleasing  of  figures.  But  few,  I 
should  think,  will  deny  that  a  cube  possesses  beauty,  or  that  a 
triangle  is  not  destitute  of  it.  An  avenue  is  the  subject  of 
universal  admiration ;  and  so  is  a  long  straight  road,  that 
conducts  up  a  gentle  ascent,  to  a  church,  or  other  sufficiently 
dignified  and  commanding  object.  Still,  an  avenue  to  a 
common  workhouse,  as  I  have  witnessed,  loses  its  influence ; 
and  a  long  road,  ending  in  nothing,  may  simply  be  a  dreary 
blank. 

The  truth  seems  to  be,  that  some  kinds  of  lines  require  the 
accompaniments  of  fitness  and  association  to  render  them 
interesting,  while  others  have  an  inherent  power  of  impressing 
men.  A  wavy  line  is  the  most  truly  graceful ;  it  is  the  thing 
that  imparts  beauty  of  form  to  human  beings  and  animals;  it 
is  indefinite,  and  awakens  the  idea  of  infinity,  with  its  exhaust- 
less  stores  for  the  imagination ;  and  it  is  of  the  commonest 
occurrence  in  natural  scenery.  Hence,  it  may  fairly  be  invested 
with  the  palm. 

Beauty  of  form,  in  a  work  of  art,  is  of  a  superior  order 
to  beauty  of  colour  or  embellishment.  It  betokens  a  deeper 
acquaintance  with  principles,  a  higher  refinement,  a  finer-toned 
feeling.  Colours  are  mere  adventitious  aids,  and  are  always 
liable  to  fade  or  change ;  while  floridness  of  ornament  simply 
pleases  the  fancy,  but  rarely  satisfies  the  mind,  and  soon 
satiates.     Beauty  of  form  is  the  most  enduring. 

The  influence  of  this  rule  on  all  the  adjuncts  of  gardening 
cannot  be  over-rated.  It  will  affect  the  shape  of  the  ground, 
the  direction  or  curves  and  levels  of  the  walks,  the  position  and 
outlines  of  all  the  clumps  and  beds,  and  every  sort  of  ornament 
that  can  be  conceived  of.  It  will  be  far  more  significant  than 
mere  costliness,  or  elaboration,  or  ingenuity.    And  it  will  extend 


134  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

as  much  to  the  proportions  of  a  place,  as  to  its  individual 
elements. 

Beauty  of  tint  or  tone,  though  inferior  to  that  of  form,  is  what 
must  never  be  thrown  entirely  into  the  shade.  Delicate  colours 
are  intrinsically  the  most  beautiful.  Shades  of  pink,  or  mix- 
tures of  pink  and  white,  light  blues,  pale  greens,  straw-coloured 
yellows,  the  softest  tones  of  crimson  and  vermilion,  are  the 
most  expressive  of  beauty.  All  stronger  colours  may  be  rich, 
showy,  and  valuable  in  contrast,  but  they  are  less  positively 
beautiful.  None  of  them  need  be  kept  out  of  a  place ;  though 
the  above  hints  will  be  suggestive  of  what  is  most  desirable, 
where  the  highest  beauty  is  sought,  and  they  may  denote  the 
colours  which  should  be  selected  in  painting  either  the  exterior 
or  the  interior  of  buildings,  fences,  &c. 

Nor  do  I  seek  at  all  to  decry  beauty  of  ornament  and  detail. 
It  will,  however,  be  necessary  to  keep  in  mind,  that  minuter 
beauties  do  not  tell  in  or  upon  objects  that  have  to  be  viewed 
from  a  distance,  and  that,  in  architectural  forms,  they  are  more 
fitted  for  internal  than  exterior  decoration.  A  building  that 
has  to  be  entered  should  always  be  much  more  ornamented 
and  enriched  inside  than  it  is  without;  and  little  delicate 
finishings,  though  highly  exj)ressive  when  in  place,  ought  only 
to  be  put  where  they  have  to  be  closely  examined,  and 
near  enough  to  the  eye  to  be  thoroughly  scrutinised  and 
appreciated. 

The  beauty  of  association  is  founded  on  the  suggestion  of 
pleasing  ideas,  such  as  fitness,  harmony,  poetry,  or  the  awaken- 
ing of  images  that  have  formerly  delighted.  It  is  especially 
connected  with  anything  aged, — with  that  in  which  our  ances- 
tors or  family  have  borne  a  part,  or  in  which  we  have  personally 
shared.  A  tree  or  plant,  which  we,  our  relatives,  or  some  known 
and  noted  personage  have  planted,  or  reared,  or  tended;  a 
summer-house  that  is  rich  in  family  or  other  ancient  records,  or 
in  which  we  or  those  we  love  have  thought,  or  studied,  or  felt 
much ;  a  retired  nook  or  secluded  little  garden,  which  the  fair 
hands  of  the  departed  have,  by  their   former   ministrations, 


BEAUTY   OF   ASSOCIATION.  135 

hallowed  and  rendered  sacred ;  may  all  be  abundantly  fraught 
with  the  beauty  of  association. 

By  this  benignant  law  man  is  linked  at  once  to  the  material 
and  the  spiritual  world  ;  and  the  elements  of  a  garden  become 
pregnant  with  both  poetry  and  history.  The  chords  of  the 
human  heart  are  strung  responsively  to  a  variety  of  objects; 
and  a  sight,  or  a  sound,  or  a  scent,  may  at  any  moment  waken 
their  melody.  Delicate  perfumes,  bursts  of  Nature's  vernal 
music,  gleams  of  gladdening  sunshine  after  rain,  may  stir  the 
shades  of  long-buried  thoughts  and  emotions,  and  quicken 
them  into  new  life  with  a  thrilling  power. 

Practically,  the  beauty  of  association  is  hardly  a  thing  to  be 
aimed  at  or  cultivated.  It  is  an  instinct  which  twines  itself 
with  our  being,  and  makes  its  own  existence  known  and  felt. 
All  that  tends  to  excite  or  develop  it  may,  however,  be  reli- 
giously fostered  ;  for  it  is  as  beneficial  as  it  is  pleasurable, 
softening  and  humanising  the  heart,  and  refining  the  entire 
nature.  And  even  in  the  newest  places,  where  not  a  solitary 
vestige  of  human  feelings  or  interests  is  found,  every  plant,  to 
the  lover  of  a  garden,  may  soon  acquire  a  little  history  of  its 
own,  and  be  the  source  of  endless  amusement,  by  personal 
trimming  and  training,  and  watering,  and  protecting  ;  while  a 
sentiment  can  easily  be  attached  to  particular  spots,  by  dedi- 
cating them  to  the  various  affections,  or  virtues,  or  purposes, 
which  adorn  or  illustrate  human  life.  However  unfortunate  a 
disposition  to  allow  plants  to  become  overcrowded  and  spoil 
one  another  may  be,  one  always  augurs  well  of  the  heart,  at 
least,  of  the  individual  who  shows  a  peculiar  sensitiveness 
about  the  removal  or  destruction  of  anything  he  has  once 
cherished,  and  with  which  are  swept  away  sensations  and  plea- 
sures never  to  be  recalled. 

23.  Having  thus  gone  over  the  numerous  principles  which 
those  who  would  layout  a  garden  will  have  to  take  into  account, 
I  have  now  to  indicate  the  manner  in  which  they  can  all  be 
harmonised  and  combined,  so  as  to  compose  a  beautiful  and 
consistent  whole.  .It  may  appear  to  some  that  many  of  the  points 


136  GENERAL   PRINCIPLES. 

discussed  are  incapable  of  being  conjointly  carried  out ; — that 
such  things  as  variety  are  incompatible  with  unity  and  sim- 
plicity ;  and  that,  in  observing  some  of  these  principles,  others 
must  be  violated.  That  such  is  not  the  case,  I  shall  proceed 
to  demonstrate. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed,  then,  that  any  stress  is  intended  to  be 
laid  on  one  principle  to  the  depreciation  of  the  rest,  or  that  the 
marked  elaboration  of  either  is  advocated.  The  perfection  of  a 
garden  will  consist  in  no  one  of  them  being  carried  to  an 
extreme.  Each  is  to  be  consulted  separately ;  but  the  joint 
teachings  of  all  acted  upon ;  such  as  will  best  suit  the  cir- 
cumstances and  demands  of  the  case  being  kept  paramount. 
Not  that  such  things  as  different  tones  and  styles  are  to  be 
hankered  after  in  the  same  place,  unless  it  be  pretty  large,  and 
susceptible  of  partial  division.  But  that  some  kind  of  expres- 
sion, and  one  particular  manner  should  be  sought,  and  the 
place  not  be  made  devoid  of  manner,  or  expressionless. 

That  simplicity  is  not  altogether  at  variance  with  richness, 
however  incongruous  they  may  appear,  there  will  be  little 
difficulty  in  proving.  A  garment  may  be  of  the  most  superb 
material,  and  yet  its  shape  and  colour  be  very  simple.  Dignity 
and  even  majesty  of  mien  may  often  be  accompanied  with  an 
air  of  simplicity  which  may  exalt  rather  than  weaken  it.  And 
so  a  garden  can  be  devoid  of  a  single  rudiment  of  complexity, — 
be  simple  in  its  plan,  and  its  purpose,  and  its  ornaments, — 
but  that  simplicity  shall  be  so  tasteful,  and  so  noble,  and  sus- 
tained with  such  excellent  materials,  as  that  richness  will  be 
manifestly  consistent  with  it. 

Nor  will  unity  be  a  whit  the  more  incapable  of  being  attained 
in  conjunction  with  variety.  This  last  has  only  to  be  prevented 
from  degenerating  into  extravagance, — to  be  duly  primed  and 
restrained, — and  not  a  thread  of  the  woof  of  harmony  need  be 
broken.  It  is  not  any  unusual  number  or  diversity  of  instru- 
ments and  voices  that  will  jar  the  music  of  a  chorus.  Such  a 
powerful  orchestra  will  rather  swell  the  concord,  if  well  regu- 
lated and  rightly  attuned.     And  variety  in  a  garden  will  alike 


COMBINATION  OF  PRINCIPLES.  137 

heighten  its  harmony,  when  the   multiplication  of  parts  is 
effected  with  judgment  and  forethought. 

Connexion,  again,  has  been  shown,  in  an  earlier  page,  to  be 
not  utterly  foreign  to  contrast ;  since  things  of  opposite  cha- 
racters may  be  brought  together,  and  even  into  contact,  by 
interweaving  their  parts  freely  with  each  other,  or  separating 
them  by  something  of  an  intermediate  tone. 

Utility  and  convenience  might  be  adjudged  alien  to  matters 
of  ornament.  But  there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  be  so. 
A  useful  thing  may  likewise  be  an  ornamental  one.  Taste  and 
tact  will  adorn  the  commonest  processes  of  life,  and  make  them 
in  the  truest  sense  beautiful, — sometimes  poetical.  So  the 
useful  and  the  necessary  portions  of  a  garden  can  be  brightened 
by  art  till  they  will  seem  intended  solely  for  ornament,  though 
all  the  while  accomplishing  their  primary  purpose  with  the 
utmost  fidelity. 

No  breadth  of  lawn,  some  may  be  ready  to  urge,  can  be 
procured  at  the  same  time  with  any  degree  of  intricacy.  Yet 
nothing  is  more  untrue.  It  is  not  a  plain  bare  area,  on  the 
scale  of  a  moderately  large  garden,  that  can  give  the  impression 
of  size.  It  is  tlie  indefiniteness  which  complexity  produces, — 
the  partial  revelations  of  side  glades  which  the  imagination  is 
left  to  amplify  and  lengthen, — that  alone  impart  any  adequate 
notion  of  extent.  Plainness  reduces  the  whole  to  a  mere 
matter-of-fact,  which  is  measured  at  once.  A  little  innocent 
deception,  by  supplying  food  for  the  fancy,  and  preventing 
almost  the  possibility  of  estimating  the  actual  proportions, 
always  operates  in  favour  of  expansion. 

How,  it  may  be  further  asked,  are  privacy  and  seclusion  to  be 
gamed,  without  sacrificing  all  open  views  into  the  surrounding 
country  ?  Nothing  is  easier,  I  reply.  If  a  house  be  on  raised 
ground,  as  it  should  be,  the  planting  of  thickets  of  low  shrubs 
(principally  evergreens)  near  the  boundary,  where  it  is  liable  to 
be  overlooked,  at  all  such  openings,  will  produce  the  desired 
seclusion,  and  still  allow  the  eye  to  range  over  into  the  district 
beyond.     Such  thickots  will  also  give  a  pleasing  foreground  ; 


138  GENERAL    PRINCIPLES. 

and  they  can  be  kept  sufficiently  low,  if  ever  inclined  to  inter- 
cept the  view,  by  irregular  priming,  not  clipping  with  the 
shears.  Should  a  walk  run  immediately  within  them,  if  they 
are  not  high  enough  to  cover  it  perfectly,  it  can  readily  be  kept 
down  a  foot  or  two  lower  at  such  parts. 

Originality,  perhaps,  may  not  be  deemed  attainable  while  a 
due  regard  is  paid  to  the  requirements  of  law.  Rules  are  not, 
however,  made  to  fetter  ;  but  merely  to  guide.  A  writer  of 
fiction  is  not  prohibited  from  representing  character  in  a  won- 
derfully developed  and  exaggerated  manner.  He  is  only  for- 
bidden from  caricaturing  it.  Developments  and  extravagancies 
that  are  according  to  nature,  are,  in  fact,  among  the  greatest 
merits  of  a  work  of  fiction.  They  are  at  once  more  exciting 
and  more  elevating.  A  celebrated  artist  is  represented  to 
have  replied  to  a  brother  of  the  easel,  who  was  contemplating 
one  of  his  mystic  productions,  and  complaining  that  he  had 
seen  nothing  in  nature  at  all  resembling  it,  "  True,  but  don't 
you  wish  you  could  ?"  Originality  in  gardens  should  thus  be, 
likewise,  but  the  development  of  rule,  and  the  exj)ansion  of 
what  is  to  be  found  in  nature.  There  is  all  the  difference  in 
the  world  between  the  freshness  that  spurns  nature's  sympathy 
and  control,  and  that  which  travels  by  her  side  to  her  loftiest 
elevations,  and  then  climbs  with  her  into  some  ethereal  res-ion. 
The  latter  may  be  the  mark  of  genius,  the  former  is  mere 
eccentricity  and  presumption. 

With  respect  to  all  other  principles,  in  which  there  are  no 
apparent  repulsions,  the  means  of  combining  them  will  be  too 
obvious  to  need  describing.  They  can  therefore  be  dealt  with 
or  embodied  in  a  place,  as  its  peculiar  nature  or  the  inclinations 
of  the  owner  may  best  warrant. 


ECONOMY.  139 


CHAPTER  II. 


GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

A  basis  of  sound  principles  being  now  laid,  it  will  be  neces- 
sary to  advance  a  step  further,  and  consider  those  objects 
worthy  of  attainment  which  are  most  likely  to  come  within 
the  scope  of  the  majority  of  places.  I  shall  thus  descend,  by 
gradual  stages,  into  matters  more  and  more  practical,  until,  at 
last,  minor  details  and  operations  fill  up  the  scale  of  instruction. 
In  a  field  so  wide,  however,  it  will  of  course  be  incompatible 
with  the  limits  of  a  book  like  the  present  to  touch  upon  any 
but  the  most  important  heads,  or  to  do  so  otherwise  than  very 
lightly. 

1.  Economy  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  first  objects  to  be  con- 
sulted in  laying  out  a  garden,  that  the  means  of  the  owner 
may  be  made  to  effect  as  much  as  possible,  and  that  his  subse- 
quent expenditure  may  be  conformable  to  his  circumstances. 
And  here  I  must  lay  down  as  a  broad  principle  that  economy 
has  no  necessary  connexion  with  the  prime  cost  of  a  place. 
The  garden  on  which  least  has  been  expended  may  be  the 
most  costly  in  the  end,  and  often  will  be  so.  "  A  thing  well 
done  is  twice  done,"  says  the  old  adage,  with  remarkable 
truth  and  clearness. 

A  prime  requisite  towards  securing  economy  is  to  study 
well  beforehand  what  is  likely  to  be  wanted  or  desired,  and  form 
a  fixed  and  definite  plan  of  procedure.  Many  persons  begin 
building  a  house  and  laying  out  a  garden  on  the  spur  of  some 
sudden  impulse,  and  without  at  all  duly  considering  or  digest- 
ing their  actual  requirements,  or  the  best  method  of  accomplish- 
ing them.     Hence,  when  they  have  got  half  through  the  work, 


140  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

their  attention  becomes  awakened  to  the  subject,  and  all  sorts 
of  alterations,  involving  a  great  additional  outlay,  have  to  be 
effected ;  and  after  all,  the  result  will  rarely  be  a  connected 
and  satisfactory  one.  To  deliberate,  and  arrange,  and  deter- 
mine everything  well  before  commencing,  is,  therefore,  the 
only  way  of  ensuring  economy. 

The  avoidance  of  broad  and  numerous  walks,  and  the  adap- 
tation of  the  design  to  the  existing  levels  of  the  ground,  will 
tend  powerfully  to  keep  down  the  expense.  The  materials  of 
which  walks  are  made  are  often  costly,  and  generally  have  to 
be  carted  and  wheeled  from  a  distance.  Much  moving  of 
earth,  too,  is  always  an  expensive  operation ;  as,  in  addition  to 
the  actual  labour  of  shifting  it,  there  will,  if  any  depth  of  it 
has  to  be  taken  away,  be  the  trouble  of  throwing  off  and 
restoring  the  surface  soil,  both  from  the  place  that  has  to  be 
lowered  and  that  which  is  raised. 

The  cost  of  keeping  up  a  place  must  also  be  thought  of  when 
the  plan  for  laying  it  out  is  under  consideration.  To  maintain 
a  lawn  in  good  order  is,  by  some,  deemed  more  troublesome  than 
keeping  beds  and  masses  of  plants  clean.  But  if  the  whole  of 
the  labour  has  to  be  paid  for,  (none  of  it  being  done  by  members 
of  the  family,)  and  beds  have  a  variety  of  flowers  in  them,  and 
are  required  to  be  kept  very  neat  and  duly  raked,  they  will  be 
much  more  exacting  in  point  of  labour  than  grass,  especially 
when  the  constant  trouble  of  keeping  their  edgings  cut  with 
the  shears  is  computed.  Lawn  is  consequently,  on  the  whole, 
less  expensive  to  keep  up  than  flower-beds  and  borders,  and 
should  therefore  abound  where  economy  of  keeping  is  sought. 

But,  for  a  more  general  rule,  whatever  gives  complexity 
and  multiplication  of  parts  to  a  place,  decidedly  increases  the 
amount  of  labour  demanded  for  its  maintenance.  Simplicity 
of  plan  will  be  by  far  the  most  economical.  Little  corners  to 
keep  clean,  small  beds  to  trim,  and  minute  objects  to  tend, 
consume  the  most  time,  and  require  the  most  constant  atten- 
tion. Broader  and  simpler  spaces  are  most  easily  and  quickly 
preserved  with  neatness. 


ECONOMY  OF  KEEPING.  141 

In  all  ordinary  cases,  one  good  man  will  be  able  to  keep  two 
acres  of  ground  nicely  in  order,  provided  the  arrangement  of 
the  place  be  not  too  complex,  and  his  attention  be  not  with- 
drawn to  other  objects.  It  must  be  remembered,  however, 
that  the  training  of  wall  trees,  if  they  be  very  numerous,  will 
occupy  much  time ;  and,  in  particular,  if  there  be  a  greenhouse, 
or  fruit-houses,  or  pits  to  look  after,  special  help  should  always 
be  allowed ;  for,  in  attending  to  such  things,  many  hours  of 
each  day  are  often  consumed,  without  any  very  obvious  result 
appearing. 

It  will  remain  for  every  individual  to  consider  these  and 
other  matters  just  so  much  as  his  particular  case  may  require. 
These  hints  simply  refer  to  a  few  of  the  means  of  making  a 
fixed  amount  of  money  produce  most  pleasure,  by  being  dis- 
tributed over  a  greater  number  of  objects.  For  if  less  is 
expended  on  one  part,  more  will  be  left  towards  compassing 
other  and  greater  ends. 

2.  There  are  few  places  so  peculiarly  situated  as  not  to  need 
some  kind  of  shelter  from  one  or  more  points  of  the  compass ; 
but  still  fewer  which  need  it  on  every  side.  Before  arranging 
the  plan  of  a  garden,  it  will  therefore  be  necessary  to  ascertain 
what  particular  winds  prevail  in  the  locality,  and  are  most 
injurious  to  vegetation,  or  most  productive  of  discomfort  and 
unhealthiness.  From  a  little  south  of  east  passing  northwards 
to  a  trifle  west  of  north,  with  the  intermediate  points,  is  the 
range  in  which  protection  is  most  commonly  wanted ;  the 
winds  from  these  quarters  being  never  either  pleasant  to  man 
or  beneficial  to  plants.  But  certain  districts,  near  the  sea,  or 
on  elevated  inland  tracts,  may  be  much  afflicted  with  gales 
from  the  north-west,  or  storms  from  the  south-west,  and  will 
need  protecting  accordingly. 

Many  modes  of  accomplishing  shelter  exist,  and  are  more  or 
less  adapted  to  local  peculiarities.  Hedges,  fences  of  various 
sorts,  walls,  buildings,  mounds  of  earth,  or  plantations,  may  all 
be  good  in  certain  situations,  and  in  reference  to  special  objects. 
It  is  important,  however,  to  bear  in  mind  that  anything  hard 


142  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

and  dense,  such  as  walls  and  close  fences,  only  serves  to  divert 
and  increase  the  current  of  the  wind,  directing  it  with  greater 
force  to  some  point  beyond ;  so  that  these  things  simply  afford 
shelter  to  objects  immediately  behind  them,  and  do  injury  to 
such  as  are  not  within  the  range  of  their  protection.  It  will 
be  very  observable  how  severely  any  plants  that  happen  to 
grow  a  little  higher  than  a  protecting  wall  are  cut  by  the 
power  of  the  wind ;  and  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  such  as 
have  been  entirely  unsheltered. 

It  follows,  then,  that  comparatively  open,  and  meshy,  and 
intricately  branching  materials,  such  as  masses  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  are  the  best  means  of  shelter  for  an  area  that  is  more 
than  a  few  yards  across ;  as  they  subdue,  and,  in  a  manner, 
entangle  the  currents  of  wind.  This  is  much  on  the  same 
principle  as  that  by  which  modern  breakwaters  act.  It  is  now 
a  well-settled  fact  that  the  strongest  stone  walls  are  less  durable 
and  influential  against  a  heavy  sea,  than  an  irregularly  webby 
or  cellular  mass  of  wood  or  iron,  into  which  the  waves  can  play, 
and  by  which  their  force  is  so  divided  and  broken  as  to  become 
soon  exhausted.  This  diffusion  and  the  multiplicity  of  parts  in 
the  resisting  material  renders  it  much  more  potent. 

Currents  of  air,  which  are  very  similar  to  currents  of  water, 
may  be  best  broken  by  trees  in  the  same  way ;  only,  the  parts 
of  trees  and  shrubs  being  more  minute  and  numerous,  they 
effect  the  object  of  shelter  even  better  than  any  breakwater 
could  soften  the  action  of  the  waves.  But  plantations,  in  order 
to  fulfil  the  purpose  well,  should  be  pretty  dense,  at  the  bottom 
as  well  as  in  the  higher  parts,  and  the  broader  they  can  con- 
veniently be  made,  the  more  efficient  they  will  be.  Mounds  or 
banks  of  earth,  with  plantations  upon  them,  will,  perhaps,  be 
the  best  means  of  shelter  in  most  positions.  If  walls  be  chosen, 
they  will  be  much  more  useful  when  backed  by  a  plantation. 
Fortunately,  whatever  is  usually  employed  for  shelter  need 
rarely  produce  any  kind  of  shade ;  the  north  and  points  adjoin- 
ing it  being  those  which  most  call  for  protection,  and  those  also 
on  which  the  rays  of  the  sun  will  never  be  intercepted.     This  is 


SHELTER.  143 

assuming,  however,  that  the  materials  used  for  shelter  are  kept 
mainly  towards  the  outer  edge  of  a  place,  which  they  always 
should  be  if  the  ground  be  nearly  flat,  because  they  would  there 
tend  to  promote  privacy  as  well.  In  a  hilly  place,  the  flower 
garden  or  pleasure  grounds  may  require  extra  shelter,  in  their 
immediate  neighbourhood.  This  should  be  occasioned,  where 
possible,  by  shrubs  only,  or  by  trees  of  a  lower  growth,  that  the 
ground  behind  may  not  be  rendered  useless  by  shade. 

As  any  openings  in  a  line  of  objects  producing  shelter  would 
only  serve  to  draw  in  more  violent  and  destructive  currents  of 
wind,  it  is  essential  that  the  material  used  should  be  pretty 
continuous.  If  it  be  a  wall,  or  a  hedge,  or  a  bank  of  earth 
alone,  or  any  other  close  object,  this  point  will  be  of  still  greater 
consequence  ;  and  the  narrower  the  opening,  the  more  fiercely 
would  the  wind  sweep  through  it.  Any  obstruction  to  wind 
will  drive  it  round  the  ends  or  through  the  apertures  of  that 
obstruction  with  accumulated  force ;  and  the  smaller  the  aper- 
ture, the  more  concentrated  and  powerful  will  be  the  volume 
that  rushes  through  it,  particularly  if  the  obstructing  medium 
be  a  hard  and  impervious  one.  All  such  openings  will  conse- 
quently be  bad  and  destructive ;  though  any  little  variations  of 
height  in  the  upper  line  of  sheltering  plantations  must  not  be 
condemned,  because  these  will  be  beautiful  in  themselves,  and 
will  not  at  all  diminish  the  protecting  power. 

Sea-breezes  and  gales  occur  with  such  frequency  in  some 
localities,  and  are  sometimes  so  injurious,  that  protection  from 
them  should  be  obtained  by  the  thickest  and  broadest  planta- 
tions that  can  be  aflbrded.  And  in  such  instances,  even  the 
openings  through  which  views  of  the  sea,  or  of  a  landscape  in 
that  direction,  may  be  desirable,  should  be  planted  with  low 
shrubs,  that  can  be  seen  over,  and  not  left  unfurnished.  For  if 
the  wind  strikes  at  once  on  the  ground,  its  full  force  will  spread 
itself  through  the  garden ;  whereas,  when  it  first  meets  with  a 
kind  of  leafy  or  branchy  network,  however  low,  its  momentum 
in  the  line  of  the  ground's  surface,  where  the  most  delicate 
plants  are  supposed  to  exist,  will  be  considerably  reduced. 


144  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

3.  Modes  of  access  to  a  house,  whether  by  a  carriage-drive  or 
a  walk,  should  be  kept  as  far  as  possible  out  of  sight  of  the 
pleasure  grounds  and  principal  windows,  that  neither  of  these 
may  be  overlooked  by  persons  coming  to  the  house.  It  is  much 
better  to  cramp  and  confine  an  entrance  than  to  open  the  garden 
to  it.  Not  that  I  should  choose  to  do  either,  but  merely  regard 
the  former  as  by  far  the  lesser  evil.  At  the  same  time,  it  should 
be  noted  that  no  house  ought  ever,  on  any  of  its  sides,  to  stand 
in  a  field  or  park,  but  should  be  entirely  surrounded  with  a 
greater  or  less  breadth  of  garden,  to  maintain  its  character  as  a 
house,  and  to  harmonise  with  its  domestic  expression  and 
objects. 

What  may  be  termed  an  architect's  view  of  a  house,  which  is 
one  that  embraces  the  entrance  and  best  garden  fronts,  looked 
at  obliquely,  so  as  to  get  them  both  in  perspective,  is  often 
unattainable  from  a  drive,  without  sacrificing  too  much  of  the 
breadth  and  seclusion  of  the  pleasure  ground.  Still,  it  is  very 
desirable  that  the  first  view  obtained  of  the  house,  in  passing 
along  the  drive,  should  be  a  favourable  one,  and  that  the 
approach  should  appear,  at  all  points,  to  tend  towards  the  house, 
and  not  to  the  stables  or  outbuildings,  or  in  any  other  direction. 
Hence,  it  is  always  well  that  the  architect  and  the  landscape 
gardener  should  be  consulted  simultaneously,  before  the  plan  of 
the  house  is  determined,  that  the  architect  may  adapt  the 
character  of  his  elevations  to  the  points  at  which  alone  they  can 
be  seen  from  the  carriage-drive. 

An  approach  ought  never  to  pass  the  house  to  which  it  leads, 
and  then  return  to  it,  for  the  mere  sake  of  gaining  length,  or  of 
showing  off  the  house  or  grounds.  Such  an  arrangement  is 
most  unnatural,  and  will  do  away  with  all  the  privacy  of  the 
place.  Nor  should  the  drive  enter  at  the  farthest  point  from 
the  house,  and  skirt  the  boundary  all  the  way  to  it,  unless  that 
is  the  most  convenient  or  the  only  point  at  which  an  entrance 
can  be  made.  There  is  great  affectation  in  desiring  mere  length 
in  a  drive,  when  it  simply  follows  the  line  of  the  outside  road. 
All  drives  or  other  approaches  should  rather  take  the  most 


THE  APPKOACH  TO  A  HOUSE. 


145 


direct  and  nearest  course  from  the  point  that  is  generally- 
entered  at  to  the  house.  But  if  a  little  deviation  from  such  a 
course,  even  to  the  extent  of  going  beyond  the  house  and  re- 
turning to  it,  be  ever  justifiable,  it  is  when  the  ascent  to  the 
front  door  is  so  steep  as  only  to  be  comfortably  reached  by  a 
circuitous  route. 

No  entrance  should  start  at  an  oblique  line  from  the  outside 
road,  unless  it  be  at  the  corner  of  a  place,  or  from  a  decided 
bend  in  the  road,  as  at  fig.  90 ;  and  then  the  line  of  the  drive 


Fig.   90. 

should  decidedly  turn  away  from  the  line  of  road.  Generally,  a 
drive  requires  to  commence  at  right  angles  from  another  road, 
(fig.  91,)  even  though  it  should  have  to  take  a  sharp  curve  in 
another  direction  almost  immediately  afterwards.  In  the  great 
majority  of  cases,  the  wing  walls  or  other  fences  on  either  side 
of  an  entrance  should  present  a  convex  form  to  the  high  road, 
as  this  is  the  natural  form  of  approach,  and  affords  less  oppor- 
tunity for  the  accumulation  of  weeds  or  nuisances.  But  if  a 
dignified  architectural  character  be  sought,  and  the  entrance  is 
intended  to  be  bold  and  imposing,  walls  of  a  reversed  or  concave 

7 


146 


GENERAL  OBJECTS. 


figure  will  perhaps  be  preferable,  and  a  light  post  and  chain 
fence,  in  a  convex  curve,  crtn  be  placed  outside,  enclosing  a 


■  •••■.•  •'  •-•    •  ~~r 


Fig.  91. 

piece  of  grass,  on  which  a  few  shrubs  or  trees  may  be  scattered 
or  grouped. 

As  a  house  ought  invariably  to  be  on  higher  ground  than  the 
bulk  of  the  garden,  in  order  that  it  may  not  appear  damp,  or 
buried,  and  shut  away  from  all  views  into  the  surrounding 
country,  so  the  approach  to  it,  especially  where  the  place  is 
small,  should  be  contrived  so  as  to  be  on  a  gradual  rise  all  the 
way.  A  slight  dip  in  the  drive,  with  a  subsequent  and  more 
decided  ascent,  may  sometimes,  where  it  exists  naturally,  be 
the  means  of  heightening  the  ground  about  the  house  in  appear- 
ance. But  a  constant  rise  in  the  approach  will  be  the  most 
uniformly  suitable. 

Any  curves  in  a  drive  or  walk  to  a  house  will  be  better  if 
they  have  a  very  easy  sweep,  that  there  may  be  no  temptation 
for  vehicles  or  foot  passengers  to  injure  the  grass  verges  by 
taking  a  shorter  turn. 

In  tracts  of  country  that  are  excessively  flat,  and  when  the 
form  of  the  house  is  tolerably  regular,  having  a  centre  and  two 


AVENUES.  147 

wings,  should  the  exterior  boundary  of  the  place  be  about 
parallel  with  the  entrance  front  of  the  house,  and  the  distance 
between  the  two  sufficiently  great,  a  straight  drive,  through  an 
avenue  composed  of  two,  four,  or  more  rows  of  trees,  will  often 
have  a  grand  and  noble  appearance ;  particularly  if  the  grounds 
are  otherwise  arranged  accordantly.  And  if  the  house  be  in 
any  modification  of  the  classical  style,  no  kind  of  tree  would  be 
so  well  adapted  for  such  an  avenue  as  the  Deodar  Cedar.  In 
this  case,  and  wherever  the  drive  is  deficient  in  length,  there 
should  be  only  one  row  of  trees  on  each  side  of  the  road,  and 
the  width  of  the  drive  and  the  distance  from  it  to  the  trees 
should  be  also  proportioned  to  the  length  of  the  avenue. 

As  bearing  directly  on  the  subject  of  avenues,  I  shall  make 
no  apology  for  inserting  the  following  extract,  being  part  of  a 
description  of  the  park  at  Windsor,  from  a  small  work  of  mine 
on  the  "  Parks  and  Gardens  of  London  and  its  Suburbs," 
published  in  1851. 

"The  drive  known  as  the  Long  Walk  is  described  as  three 
miles  in  length,  in  a  straight  line,  and  is  supported  on  either 
side  by  two  rows  of  Elms,  which  have  attained  their  full  size, 
and,  with  a  very  few  unimportant  exceptions,  are  yet  in  the 
greatest  vigour  and  luxuriance.  This  avenue  will  be  sure  to 
strike  the  visitor  as  exceedingly  grand.  It  is  somewhat  marred, 
however,  by  being  carried  over  a  considerable  swell  in  the 
ground  about  halfway  up  it,  which  helps  to  shorten  its  apparent 
length,  and  to  make  the  drive  seem  as  if  it  were  not  straight, 
while  a  more  decidedly  objectionable  feature  is,  that  it  ascends 
a  hill  away  from  the  castle  at  the  further  end.  If  there  are  any 
two  circumstances  which,  more  than  others,  require  to  be  kept 
in  view  in  the  formation  of  avenues,  they  are  that  the  ground 
over  which  they  run  should  be  nearly  level,  or  have  one  con- 
tinuous ascent  towards  the  mansion  or  principal  object  to  which 
they  lead ;  and  that,  consequently,  this  object  should  be  on  the 
highest  ground,  at  least  as  respects  the  avenue.  Any  avenue 
that  commences  on  a  hill,  and  passes  down  that  hill  towards  its 
terminating  object,  even  though  it  afterwards  rise  again  near 


148  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

the  end,  must  ever  appear  to  some  extent  inverted ;  and  every 
undulation  or  swell  of  the  ground  in  it  will  necessarily  be  a 
deformity.  The  idea  which  is  conveyed  to  the  mind  by  the 
elevation  of  the  Long  Walk  at  Windsor,  as  it  reaches  its  termi- 
nation in  the  Great  Park,  is,  that  the  Castle  ought  to  be  some- 
where about  the  site  of  the  statue  of  George  III.,  by  which  this 
walk  is  so  appropriately  finished. 

"  Those  familiar  with  the  Champs  Elysees  at  Paris  will 
remember  that  the  grand  avenue  there,  like  this  at  Windsor,  is 
partly  on  a  steep  ascent,  away  from  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries 
to  the  Triumphal  Arch  at  the  summit.  And  although  this 
circumstance  enhances  the  effect  as  viewed  from  the  front  of  the 
palace,  yet,  regarded  as  an  approach  to  the  Tuileries,  it  causes 
the  latter  to  appear  more  or  less  buried  in  a  low  marshy  tract." 

Avenues  that  are  not  in  a  straight  line,  but  are  curved  or 
otherwise  irregular,  may  be  convenient,  or  answer  some  useful 
purpose,  as  in  the  road  on  the  north-west  side  of  St.  James's 
Park,  London,  but  they  can  never  rise  to  the  dignity  of  art. 
And  when,  as  is  the  case  with  one  at  Woburn  Abbey,  they  are 
both  curved  and  pass  along  the  ridge  of  a  hill,  where,  if  seen 
from  the  side,  and  from  a  lower  point,  they  exhibit  a  flat  and 
monotonous  sky  line,  and  also  appear  thin  and  meagre,  they  are 
doubly  objectionable. 

Anything  in  the  shape  of  a  single  row  of  trees  along  the  side 
of  a  drive,  or  a  double  row  that  is  broken  at  intervals,  unless 
this  last  be  done  in  the  most  formal  manner,  and  for  the  sake 
of  opening  out  a  decided  vista,  would  be  quite  inadmissible  in 
an  artistic  point  of  view.  And  the  rule  will  hold  good  with 
reference  to  bold  and  important  walks  in  pleasure  grounds, 
except  where  a  square  or  oblong  plot,  that  is  complete  in  itself, 
is  merely  flanked,  on  either  side,  with  a  row  of  appropriate 
plants,  the  two  rows  in  such  case,  however  distant  from  each 
other,  actually  constituting  the  avenue. 

There  is  commonly  a  great  propensity  to  make  the  sweeps  of 
gravel  at  an  entrance  door,  for  carriages  to  turn  in,  a  good  deal 
too  large,  for  the  accommodation  of  careless  coachmen.     This 


CARRIAGE    SLEEPS. 


149 


disfigures  and  reduces  the  apparent  size  of  a  place  considerably, 
and  must  be  protested  against.  The  smaller  the  space  that  can 
possibly  be  turned  in,  the  better  it  will  look.  From  thirty  to 
forty  feet  in  breadth  will  be  ample  ;  and  the  former  will  suffice 
where  the  approach  to  the  front  door  is  by  a  nearly  parallel  line, 
or  on  a  long  and  gentle  curve.  "Where  the  entrance  door  is 
exposed  to  the  outside  road,  in  consequence  of  the  shortness  or 
directness  of  the  drive,  a  small  circular  or  oval  clump  of  ever- 
greens (fig.  92)  just  opposite  the  door,  with  the  drive  passing  all 


I 


Re.  92. 


round  it,  will  be  a  desirable  arrangement.  In  the  case  of  a  walk 
only,  it  may  be  curved  so  as  to  get  enough  planting  in  the  swell 
of  the  curve  to  cover  the  front  door;  and  this  is  a  matter  which 
should  always  be  aimed  at,  as  it  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  dismiss 


150 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


one's  friends  there,  without  being  subjected  to  the  public  gaze 
of  passers  by. 


Fig.  93. 
Wherever  it  may  be  possible,  the  entrance  door  or  porch  of  a 
house  should  be  approached  laterally,  and  so  as  to  have  the  door 
on  the  left.  It  is  very  difficult  to  drive  up  to  a  door  when  the 
line  of  approach  is  at  a  right  angle  with  the  house,  and  demands 
much  more  space  to  turn  in.    By  keeping  the  door  on  the  left, 


Figr.  94. 


too,  any  one  who  may  be  riding  with  the  coachman,  or  any  lady 
who  may  be  driven  in  a  pony  carriage  or  phaeton,  will  alight  at 
once  from  the  side  of  the  carriage  on  which  they  are  seated. 
Figs.  93  and  94  will  exemplify  this ;  the  former  being  a  simple 


CARRIAGE  SWEEPS. 


151 


sweep  of  the  usual  shape,  while  the  latter  is  broken  up  by  the 
insertion  of  a  large  shrub  or  group  of  shrubs  in  the  centre. 


Ficr  95. 


Carriage  sweeps  that  are  of  an  angular  form,  whether  it  be  a 
simple  oblong,  (fig.  95,)  or  the  same  with  the  corners  cut  off, 


Fiar.  96. 


(fig.  96,)  or  an  octagon,  or  other  polygonal  figure,  are  not  so 


152  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

satisfactory  in  regard  to  keeping  ;  bnt  they  are  often  the  very 
fittest  accompaniments  to  a  house  of  a  particular  style,  or  to  a 
garden  that  is  treated  very  formally.  Small  stone  blocks,  too, 
may  sometimes  be  appropriately  placed  at  their  corners,  as 
will  be  shown  in  fig.  187  ;  or  the  whole  may  be  edged  with  a 
neat  kerb  stone,  to  which  the  blocks  in  question  will  be  a 
suitable  relief. 

Cases  may  further  occur  in  which,  from  the  extreme  short- 
ness of  the  drive,  or  the  character  of  the  house,  or  the  desire 
to  make  the  garden  private,  or  the  existence  of  a  natural  bank 
of  earth  against  the  carriage  sweep,  the  formation  of  a  walled 
entrance  court  will  be  both  prudent  and  ornamental.  If  the 
walls  be  but  low,  (three  or  four  feet  high,)  the  area  of  such  a 
court  need  not  be  much  larger  than  an  ordinary  carriage- 
sweep.  But  if  the  court  be  surrounded  with  walls  ten  or 
twelve  feet  high,  it  will  require  to  be  much  larger,  (as  in  figs. 
122  and  123,)  and  be  decorated  with  shrubs  and  climbers.  In 
either  case,  the  wall  should  be  architecturally  treated,  and 
made  a  main  element  in  the  design. 

In  obtaining  access  to  the  servants'  apartments  of  a  house, 
a  few  leading  rules  will  have  to  be  observed.  If  at  all  prac- 
ticable, it  should  be  made  quite  a  separate  thing,  from  the 
outside,  and  will  be  more  useful  if  it  will  admit  carts  to  convey 
coals,  &c,  to  the  house,  and  rubbish  from  it.  But  where  this 
cannot  be  done,  the  access  may  be  compassed  by  a  branch 
road  or  walk  from  the  approach,  keeping  this  as  far  as  possible 
from  the  entrance  front  of  the  house,  and  rendering  it  smaller, 
meaner,  more  confined,  and  less  direct  than  the  main  approach, 
that  the  two  may  never  be  mistaken  for  each  other. 

4.  Independently  of  the  approach  to  the  house,  there  will  be 
a  greater  or  lesser  number  of  other  walks  in  a  garden,  the  treat- 
ment of  which  will  demand  much  attention.  They  should  not 
strictly  follow  the  boundary  of  a  place,  unless  it  be  purely  in 
the  formal  style,  and  its  fences  be  architectural.  But  wherever 
they  diverge  from  the  neighbourhood  of  the  boundary,  and, 
indeed,  at  every  point  throughout  their  length,  the  outside 


GABDEX   WALKS.  153 

fences  should  be  kept  in  the  background,  so  as  scarcely  to  be 
seen,  by  masses  of  shrubs  and  trees,  especially  the  former. 

"Walks  should  be  made  to  embrace  particular  views,  to  take 
a  variety  of  levels,  to  be  concealed  from  each  other,  and  to  have 
a  definite  object.  All  the  more  interesting  aspects  of  the  house, 
the  garden,  and  the  country,  ought  to  be  seen  from  them  at 
particular  and  favourable  points.  These  points  should  thus  be 
situated  where  the  ground  is  highest,  in  a  general  way,  that  the 
view  may  be  more  commanding.  But  the  house  itself  ought 
not  to  be  seen  from  a  greater  elevation  than  it  actually  occu- 
pies, unless  there  be  a  hollow  between  it  and  the  point  of  view. 
Undulation  in  the  surface  of  walks,  where  it  can  be  suitably 
attained,  will  be  very  effective  in  the  production  of  variety.  It 
must  be  very  gentle  and  gradual,  and,  like  the  curves  in  the 
ground  line,  the  changes  should  pass  softly  and  sweetly  into 
each  other.  Sudden  swells  or  hasty  dips  should  be  alike 
unknown,  unless  they  are  to  accomplish  some  special  end,  or 
are  rendered  necessary  by  the  natural  conformation.  The 
highest  or  lowest  parts  will  best  occur  towards  the  centre  of 
the  curves,  where  the  lines  are  easiest. 

If  two  walks  be  seen  from  each  other,  when  they  are  taking 
parallel  directions,  one  of  them  will  appear  to  some  extent 
needless,  and  in  the  same  degree  objectionable.  Masses  of 
shrubs,  or  banks  of  earth  partially  clothed  with  these,  are  the 
most  natural  and  gentle  divisions  for  placing  between  them.  A 
walk  that  leads  nowhere,  or  ends  in  nothing,  gives  an  impression 
of  an  unfinished  place,  and  is  as  unsatisfactory  as  all  other 
abortions.  If  it  be  not  desirable  to  continue  it  beyond  a  certain 
point,  and  yet  be  of  consequence  that  it  should  proceed  as  far 
as  that  point,  a  summer-house,  or  arbour,  or  seat  to  obtain  a 
good  view,  will  be  a  sufficient  terminating  object.  Otherwise, 
the  walk  can  be  carried  round  a  small  circular  or  other  loop, 
filled  with  shrubs,  till  it  returns  again  into  the  same  part.  A 
mere  cul-de-sac,  in  which  a  walk  or  drive  expands  into  a  trun- 
cated form,  without  any  outlet,  is  extremely  undesirable. 

No  walk  must  ever  turn  aside  from  its  course,  except  for 


154 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


some  sufficient  object.  A  great  change  of  level,  a  tree,  plant, 
or  group  of  plants,  and  a  variety  of  such  things,  will  justify  a 
curve  in  a  walk  ;  and  when  it  is  straight,  something  must  be 
distinctly  placed  to  stop  it,  where  it  turns  off  in  a  lateral 
direction.  It  should  appear  as  if  it  could  not  go  any  further  in 
the  same  line.  Repton  suggests,  as  an  excellent  rule,  that 
where  two  walks  branch  off  from  one  another  at  any  point,  they 
should  take  a  decided  outward  turn,  (fig.  97,)  so  as  not  to  seem 


Fig.  97. 

as  if  they  would  soon  unite  again.  Of  course,  this  will  not 
apply  to  the  case  of  their  merely  passing  round  circles  or  ovals, 
where  it  is  simply  assumed  that  the  obstacle  in  the  centre 
causes  a  temporary  diversion. 

While  the  shrubs  and  plantations  that  skirt  the  sides  of 
walks,  at  intervals,  are  never  placed  so  as  to  make  a  formal 
line  or  hedge,  nor  pruned  or  clipped  into  regular  shapes,  dn 
relation  to  curved  walks,  they  ought  not  so  to  intrude  upon 
the  walks  as  to  prevent  their  being  comfortably  used  in  wet 
weather.  Regard  should  be  had  to  their  usual  character  and 
habits  at  the  time  of  planting,  with  an  ultimate  view  to  this 
convenience. 


GARDEN   WALKS. 


155 


In  the  formation  of  serpentine  walks,  it  is  not  well  to  set 
their  curves  out  to  any  regular  radius,  but  simply  to  please  the 
eye.  The  length  or  extent  of  divergence  of  the  curves  from  a 
central  line  cannot  be  too  varied  and  irregular,  if  the  turns  be 
not  sudden  and  abrupt.  Great  variety  of  curves  will  best  con- 
duce to  newness  of  scene,  and  maintenance  of  interest.  The 
most  delicate  point  in  working  them  out  will  be  to  blend  two 
curves  nicely  together,  without  producing  a  straight  or  a  tame 
line  at  their  junction. 

Whatever  may  be  at  the  sides  of  walks,  whether  raised  banks 
or  borders,  or  depressions,  or  comparatively  level  ground,  if  a 
grass  edging  be  used,  it  should  always  be  perfectly  flat,  for  a 


greater  or  less  width,  according  to  the  space,  and  then  gradually 
rise  (fig.  98)  with  a  concave  curve,  till  it  joins  a  bank  or  elevated 
bed,  or  as  gradually  fall,  with  first  a  convex  (fig.  99),  and  then 
a  concave  curve,  till  it  unites  with  the  line  of  a  depression  or 


Fig.  99. 

hollow.  With  very  precipitous  banks,  that  are  compelled  to  be 
brought  close  to  a  walk,  this  rule  must  be  set  aside,  though 
rocks,  stones,  roots,  &c,  clothed  with  trailing  plants,  or  masses 
of  Ivy  or  Cotoneaster  alone,  will  be  preferable  to  grass  for 
such  places.  Nothing  can  be  more  ugly  than  a  convex  grass 
bank  reposing  angularly  on  the  margin  of  a  walk ;  and  the 
edge  of  it  can  never  be  cut  neatly,  while  it  is  apt  to  be  pared 
back  by  orderly  gardeners,  to  keep  it  to  some  degree  of 
smoothness  and  straightness,  until  a  deep  harsh  line  of  bare 
earth  is  presented  at  its  base. 


156 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


5.  All  the  fences  of  a  place,  unless  they  be  purely  archi- 
tectural ones,  or  occupy  some  peculiar  position,  should  be  as 
light  as  they  can  be  made,  consistently  with  strength,  and  be 
otherwise  quiet  and  inconspicuous.  A  fence  is  a  thing  of  ne- 
cessity, and  not  of  ornament ;  and  though  the  latter  feature 
may,  possibly,  be  added  to  it,  it  is  not  usually  to  be  wished 
for.  The  material,  therefore,  the  colour,  and  the  form,  should 
be  such  as  will  least  excite  attention,  and  can  be  most  readily 
concealed  or  disguised. 

Sunk  fences  are,  when  the  nature  of  the  boundary  admits 
of  their  application,  the  best  of  all  barriers,  especially  if  the 
land  beyond  them  be  in  grass ;  for  they  are  not  at  all  seen 
from  a  distance,  and  are  as  good  as  a  common  wall  in  keep- 
ing out  cattle  or  other  intruders.  But  they  are  very  rarely 
fitted  for  any  place,  except  between  the  lawn  and  the  park, 
where  they  are  invaluable.  If  the  lawn  and  park  be  not,  how- 
ever, on  the  same  level  where  the  sunk  fence  separates  them, 
they  should  be  made  pretty  nearly  so,  or  the  line  of  division 
will  show  itself  too  much  from  the  house  and  from  some 
part  of  the  park,  and  the  apparent  size  of  the  land  will  be 
lessened. 

A  sunk  fence  may  be  of  several  different  kinds ;  but,  in  any 
form,  it  is  important  that  the  ground  lines  of  the  excavation 
should  be  carefully  regulated.  The  simplest  and  most  common 
mode  is  (fig.  100)  that  in  which  a  wall  is  introduced  to  sustain 


Fig.  100. 

the  earth  on  the  side  next  the  pleasure  grounds.  This  wall 
should  always  batter  slightly,  and  stand  about  five  feet  above 
the  ground  at  its  base,  the  sloping  line  from  it  extending  twelve 
or  fifteen  feet,  as  shown  in  the  figure.  In  fig.  101,  no  Avail  is 
used,  but  a  slight  iron  or  wooden  fence  is  placed  on  the  inner 


SUNK   FENCES. 


157 


slope,  and  is  so  slanted  that  it  makes  an  effectual  barrier  from 
without,  while  it  is  hardly  at  all  perceptible  from  the  inside. 
It  may  be  remarked,  in  passing,  that  it  is  of  course  more 


Fig.  101. 

difficult  for  man  or  animals  to  get  over  a  fence  that  slopes 
towards  them.  An  ordinary  wire  or  hurdle  fence  is,  in  tig. 
102,  put  in  the  bottom  of  the  excavation;  this  latter  being 
just  deep  enough  to  make  the  fence  invisible  from  the  lawn  of 
the  pleasure  grounds.     The  inner  slopes  in  the  two  last  plans 


Fig.  102. 

might  be  used  for  a  collection  of  the  dwarfer  kinds  of  shrubs, 
in  irregular  patches ;  or  for  spring  flowers,  when  the  aspect  is 
sufficiently  sunny. 

For  outside  boundary  fences,  something  that  is  rather  secure 
will  be  principally  wanted.  Iron  railings  on  the  top  of  low 
walls  are  most  ornamental,  and  give  a  friendly,  hospitable,  and 
open  character  to  a  place.  Walls,  or  close  wooden  palings, 
may  be  useful  near  towns,  or  in  bad  neighbourhoods,  but  they 
should  not  ordinarily  be  more  than  five  feet  or  five  feet  six 
inches  high.  Wooden  fences  are  decidedly  the  most  trouble- 
some and  expensive  in  the  end.  Common  walls  will  have  a 
much  less  ugly  appearance,  if  furnished  with  a  neat  stone  cop- 
ing. Both  these  and  close  wooden  fences  may  be  mounded 
against  on  the  inside,  to  the  depth  of  two  or  more  feet ;  which, 
if  the  bank  be  made  the  full  breadth  of  the  border,  and  softly 
worked  into  the  common  level  of  the  garden,  or  to  the  edge 


158 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


of  a  walk,  will  greatly  take  off  the  height  of  the  fence  from  the 
inside,  and  make  it  much  more  easy  to  hide  it  with  low  shrubs, 
or  masses  of  wild-looking  Ivy.  Fig.  103  represents  a  fence  of 
this  description,  in  which  there  is  a  low  wall  about  two  feet  six 


Fig.  103. 

inches  high,  towards  the  road,  and  a  hedge  planted  immedi- 
ately within  the  wall,  on  a  sloping  bank.  The  hedge,  when 
fully  grown,  would  overhang  the  wall,  and  be  cut  flush  with 
the  face  of  it,  as  shown  in  the  sketch.  Such  a  fence  would  be 
peculiarly  neat  and  trim,  and  yet  quite  country-like,  in  any 
suburban  or  purely  rural  district,  and  it  has  the  merit  of  pre- 
senting no  bank  which  could  crumble  or  be  trodden  away  on 
the  side  next  the  road,  while,  on  the  inside,  the  entire  fence  is 
as  inconspicuous  as  possible. 

Inside  fences,  for  separating  one  part  of  a  place  from  another, 
or  for  protecting  plantations  in  a  park,  need  not  be  nearly  so 
strong  as  those  for  the  exterior  boundary.  Hedges  in  such 
places  are  mostly  deformities  in  a  scene.  Between  the  field  and 
the  lawn  they  cut  off  all  connexion ;  and  the  field  might  as 
well  not  exist,  as  far  as  effect  is  concerned.  Around  plantations, 
too,  they  are  scarcely  a  whit  more  in  place  ;  for  they  give  them 
a  hard  and  stiff  outline,  and  prevent  the  branches  of  the  trees 
from  sweeping  the  ground,  which  is  a  prominent  beauty. 
Trees  never  show  to  advantage,  unless  it  can  be  seen  distinctly 
where  they  rise  out  of  the  ground,  and  how  their  branches  rest 
upon  it,  or  incline  towards  it ;  and  hedges  around  them  coop 
them  up  in  a  kind  of  nest.  If  the  hedges  be  trimmed,  as  they 
must  be  to  become  at  all  useful,  their  effect  will  be  decidedly 


IRON  AND  WIRE  FENCES.  159 

worse.    When  left  to  grow  wildly  and  irregularly,  they  may  be 
somewhat  less  objectionable. 

Different  descriptions  of  light  iron  fence,  now  so  much  in 
vogue,  will  be  superior  to  anything  else  for  divisions  in  a  place, 
or  for  surrounding  plantations  in  a  part  grazed  by  sheep  or 
cattle.   Iron  hurdles,  strained  wire  fences,  or  what  is  called  the 
continuous  fence,  which  is  a  kind  of  combination  of  different 
parts  of  the  other  two,  are  the  three  most  available  forms ; — 
and  of  these,  iron  hurdles  will  be  most  fitted  for  a  fence  that 
may  require  moving  about ;  the  continuous  fence  will  be  useful 
where  there  is  a  remote  chance  of  its  having  to  be  removed,  or 
the  line  changed,  and  in  the  districts  where  stone  cannot  readily 
be  had ;  while  the  wire  fence  is  the  lightest,  strongest,  neatest, 
and  best  for  a  decided  fixture,  and  may  be  adapted  nicely  to 
any  sort  of  curves.     Galvanised  wire,  of  which  it  is  sometimes 
made,  is  liable  to  become  corroded,  especially  by  the  action  of 
sea-air.   The  supports  of  a  wire  fence  should  always  be  bedded 
in  stone,  where  it  can  be  obtained,  in  preference  to  wood,  the 
former  being  both  more  durable  and  stable.     If  this  kind  of 
fence  be  used  for  a  straight  line, — across  the  bottom  of  a  lawn, 
for  instance, — where  no  extra  stays  will  be  needed,  it  is  ex- 
tremely light  and  quiet-looking.     The  greater  the  number  of 
curves,  and  the  more  sudden  these  are,  the  more  expensive  will 
be  the  fence,  on  account  of  the  increased  number  of  stays ;  but, 
under  any  circumstances,  it  will  be  the  cheapest  kind  of  fence, 
taking  everything  into  account,  and  considering  its  durability, 
which   could  possibly  be  used,   besides  having  such  a  neat 
appearance,  and  obtruding  itself  so  little  into  notice. 

A  common  wire  fence  can  be  three  feet  six  inches  or  four  feet 
high,  and  have  six  horizontal  wires,  which  will  exclude  lambs. 
These  last  easily  get  through  the  ordinary  iron  hurdles,  and 
may  do  great  mischief  in  a  garden  or  plantation.  The  fence 
should  be  placed  at  least  six  feet  from  any  plants  in  a  garden 
or  a  group,  that  cattle  may  not  easily  browse  them,  or  sheep 
crop  off  all  the  ends  of  their  lower  shoots. 

Where  plantations  are  numerous  on  an  estate,  and  wood  is 


160 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


abundant,  a  neat  and  rustic  description  of  wooden  fence  may  be 
made  around  them,  or  round  groups  of  plants  in  a  park,  after 
the  manner  shown  in  fig.  104.  This  fence  is  intended  to  b& 
about  three  feet  high,  and  may,  with  advantage,  slope  slightly 


Fig.  104. 

outwards.  It  is  formed  of  larch,  oak,  or  hazel  poles,  about  two 
inches  in  thickness,  with  the  bark  left  on,  and  may  either  be 
finished  with  or  without  a  top  rail.  The  latter  is  certainly  an 
improvement,  and  consists  of  similar  poles,  sawn  in  half,  and 
the  sawn  side  placed  downwards.  All  the  sloping  stakes  are 
fixed  firmly  in  the  ground. 

In  certain  parts  of  a  place,   disagreeable  objects,   such  as 
rubbish  or  yards,  require  to  be  excluded,  and  walls  would, 


perhaps,  be  objection  able,  or  too  expensive,  while  hedges  would 
either  be  too  long  in  growing,  or  the  situation  is  so  shaded  that 
no  hedge  could  ever  thrive  in  it.  For  such  positions,  the  rustic 
close  fence,  fig.  105,  composed  of  larch  poles  with  the  bark  on, 


FENCES.  161 

and  intended  to  be  partially  covered  with  Ivy  and  other 
climbers,  is  quiet,  and  harmonises  well  with  any  shrubs  or 
trees  that  may  be  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  creates  at  once 
a  complete  screen.  It  may  be  six  or  eight  feet  high,  or  even 
higher,  if  necessary.  It  was  originally  sketched  by  me  for 
the  late  James  Morrison,  Esq.,  of  Basildon  Park,  Berks,  to 
shut  off  a  cottage  garden  from  a  walk  through  a  shrubbery. 

For  keeping  rabbits  out  of  a  garden,  nothing  is. so  good  as 
a  sunk  fence,  or,  in  other  parts,  a  wall  or  close  paling.  The 
wire  netting,  at  present  much  talked  of,  may  be  substituted  in 
other  cases,  and  fastened  to  iron  hurdles  or  to  a  wire  fence ; 
but  it  should  be  at  least  from  two  feet  six  inches  to  three  feet 
high,  and  will  then  be  anything  but  ornamental.  A  much 
better  though  more  expensive  substitute  will  be  to  have  a  wire 
fence  principally  composed  of  upright  wires,  four  inches  apart, 
and  have  intermediate  wires,  two  inches  apart,  at  the  bottom, 
to  the  height  of  about  two  feet  six  inches.  This  will  be  a 
neater  and  more  lasting  expedient. 

To  protect  single  trees  planted  in  a  field,  a  low  circular,  square, 


Fig.  1UG. 


or  octagonal  frame,  to  stand  about  three  or  four  feet  from  the 
stem  of  the  tree,  composed  entirely  of  larch  or  pine  wood,  two 


162  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

or  three  inches  in  diameter,  split  into  two,  and  the  bark  left  on, 
will  be  a  convenient  and  sightly  mode.  This  frame  can  be 
formed  either  wholly  of  upright  pieces  of  wood,  about  two  or 
three  inches  apart,  (fig.  106,)  and  fastened  to  connecting  cross 
bars  inside,  the  four  corner  pieces  being  longer  than  the  rest, 
and  fixed  into  the  ground ;  or,  if  square,  the  sides  may  be  made 
of  similar  wood,  fastened  crosswise  at  about  the  same  distance 
apart,  to  inside  uprights,  the  four  posts  at  the  corners  being 
retained  as  in  the  other  case.     Fig.  107  resembles  the  previous 


Fior.    107. 


figure,  but  the  ground  outline  is  octagonal.  The  guards  might, 
if  desired,  be  placed  much  nearer  the  tree,  and  made  twice  the 
height,  or  about  six  feet  from  the  ground ;  in  which  case  the 
sides  should  be  filled  in  with  horizontal  instead  of  vertical  bars. 
The  bark-covered  side  of  the  whole  should  be  presented  out- 
wards. Strong  iron  wire  guards,  six  or  eight  feet  across,  and 
dividing  into  two  parts,  may  likewise  be  used,  especially  where 
the  branches  of  the  trees  grow  low  upon  the  stem ;  and  iron 
hurdles  may  often  be  useful  to  inclose  a  group  of  three  or  four 
newly-planted  trees. 

Where  a  permanent  fence  round  single  trees  in  a  field  would 


FENCES. 


163 


be  considered  an  eye-sore,  this  may  be  dispensed  with  by  planting 
around  the  base  of  the  tree  irregularly,  and  as  if  by  accident, 
two  or  three  common  Thorns,  (fig.  108,)  with  an  occasional 
Holly  to  vary  their  appearance,  and  give  them  more  liveliness 
in  winter.    If  left  unpruned,  and  suffered  to  take  entirely  their 


Fig.   108. 

own  course,  these  plants  will,  after  a  few  years'  protection, 
become  quite  sufficient  guards  to  the  trees,  and  will  have  rather 
a  picturesque  effect.  Unquestionably,  however,  they  will 
detract  from  the  symmetry  and  dignity  of  the  tree. 

That  the  colour  of  fences  is  by  no  means  unimportant,  will 
readily  be  deduced  from  what  has  been  urged  as  to  giving  them 
a  quiet  appearance.  All  light  paints,  such  as  white  or  stone- 
colour,  will  be  exceedingly  out  of  place,  unless  the  fence  is  very 
handsome,  and  intended  to  be  made  conspicuous.  Green,  as 
harmonising  best  with  the  colour  of  grass  and  vegetation  gene- 
rally, will  be  the  most  appropriate ;  but,  as  wire  or  hurdle 
fences  would  require  a  greater  outlay  to  have  them  painted,  it 
will  be  advisable  to  coat  them  with  the  tar  mixture  used  and 


164  GENERAL    OBJECTS. 

recommended  by  Mr.  Fleming,  of  Trentham.  It  consists  of 
one-third  common  or  Stockholm  tar  and  two-thirds  gas-tar, 
mixed,  and  applied  boiling  hot  with  a  paint-brush.  It  is  said 
to  last  for  many  years  without  renewing,  and  costs  extremely 
little.  When  fences  of  any  kind  of  dressed  wood  are  employed, 
they  should  simply  be  stained,  or  painted  to  resemble  oak,  or 
made  green.     The  first  of  these  will  be  the  best. 

6.  In  dealing  with  the  outlines  of  beds  and  masses,  besides  the 
variation,  and  freshness,  and  easiness  and  grace  of  sweep,  which 
it  is  desirable  to  procure  in  respect  to  such  as  are  to  contain 
shrubs,  or  shrubs  and  trees,  much  may  likewise  be  done  by  the 
manner  of  planting  them.  Although  it  is  necessary,  to  secure 
any  degree  of  order  and  beauty  for  a  few  years,  that  the  shape 
of  irregular  masses  should  be  set  out  in  a  series  of  bold,  and 
well-connected,  and  flowing  curves,  the  actual  outline  of  the 
plants,  when  they  have  reached  some  eight  or  ten  years'  growth, 
must  never  be  supposed  or  arranged  to  take  any  such  figure. 
On  the  contrary,  each  plant,  (in  the  front,  at  least,)  like  the 
heads  of  old  trees  in  a  forest,  should  jut  forward  or  retire  with 
a  curve  of  its  own,  forming  an  infinitely  more  numerous  and 


Pia  109. 


more  varied  series  of  little  curves;  these  again  uniting,  in  their 
general  outlines,  to  fill  up  and  vary  the  series  of  larger  sweeps 
at  first  marked  out  on  the  ground.  Fig.  109  will  best  explain 
this;  the  dotted  line  along  the  front  exhibiting  the  curved 


OUTLINES   OF   BEDS   AND   MASSES.  165 

outline  of  the  plantation,  as  it  would  be  set  out  on  the  ground  ; 
and  the  broken,  inner,  shaded  line  immediately  behind  it  indi- 
cating the  kind  of  shape  which  the  trees  and  shrubs  would  take, 
in  their  front  lines,  when  fully  grown. 

Instead,  therefore,  of  the  outside  plants  in  a  mass  following 
implicitly  the  lines  by  which  it  is  defined  on  the  ground,  they 
should  stand  forward  or  recede  in  the  most  irregular  fashion, 
approaching  nearest  to  the  front  of  the  bed  at  the  prominent 
parts,  and  towards  the  middle  or  one  of  the  sides  of  the 
recesses,  but  retiring  a  good  deal  in  other  places,  and  espe- 
cially in  those  portions  of  the  recesses  on  either  side  of  the 
advanced  specimens  just  named.  In  addition  to  this,  and  to 
heighten  the  variety  of  outline  still  more,  the  larger  growing 
things,  and  such  as  will  spread  forward  most  on  the  grass, 
may  be  put  here  and  there  along  the  very  front  rank  of  plants, 
the  smallest  growing  kinds  being  kept  among  such  as  are 
planted  farthest  back.  Thus,  when  the  border  comes  to  be 
turfed  over,  if  ever  it  should  be  so  covered,  the  edges  of  the 
mass  will  be  as  broken,  yet  as  softly  rounded  and  blended,  as 
those  of  a  natural  thicket ;  and  should  the  front  of  the  border 
be  retained  for  flowers,  the  shrubs  will  still  produce  the  same 
effect  as  to  outline,  though  it  will  not  be  exhibited  so  well. 

Mere  liny  groups  of  plants  that  have  length  without  breadth, 
and  are  easily  seen  through  at  all  seasons,  will  ever  appear 
poverty-stricken  and  meagre.  Every  group  should  have  some 
kind  of  proportion  preserved  in  its  parts,  especially  between 
its  two  principal  dimensions.  All  narrowness  and  thinness 
will  be  fatal  to  this.  It  is  clusters  or  masses  (not  mere  strips) 
of  plants  that  are  wanted  in  a  garden,  or  a  field,  or  a  park. 
Long  and  slender  beds  of  them  look  too  much  like  hedges, 
and  are  deficient  in  richness  and  connexion. 

Each  plantation  or  mass  of  plants  upon  a  lawn  will  demand 
to  be  treated  separately,  and  yet  in  relation  to  others.  Its  own 
individual  outlines  should  be  such  as  I  have  described ;  but 
these  must  make  part  of  a  series  of  lines  of  which  the  sides 
of  a  lawn  are  composed.     It  will  not  be  enough  to  have  one 


166 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


group  well  and  tastefully  defined ;  each  group  must  play  its 
part  in  the  whole  scene,  and  be  shaped  so  as  best  to  exhibit 
both  itself  and  others.  In  laying  down  a  number  of  groups, 
then,  it  will  be  proper  first  to  arrange  them  in  the  plan,  as  if 
they  were  one  continued  mass,  and  then  regard  them  as  severed 
up,  by  walks  or  other  divisions,  in  the  way  that  may  be  after- 
wards found  expedient.  Two  or  more  beds,  where  a  walk 
divides  them,  may  (and  should  generally)  have  their  outlines 
arranged  (figs.  1 10  and  1 1 1)  so  as  to  look  like  one,  when  viewed 


Fig.  110. 
from  a  distance.  And  the  edges  of  these  beds,  towards  the 
walk,  may  be  either  broken  into  bays,  as  in  fig.  110,  or  be 
made  continuously  regular,  with  a  verge  of  a  uniform  width, 
like  fig.  111.  Either  of  these  modes  may  be  adopted  at 
pleasure,  or  the  latter  may  be  selected  where  the  masses  of 
shrubs  are  but  narrow  and  small,  and  the  former  used  when 
they  are  more  ample. 

7.  But  the  best  arrangement  of  plants  as  to  the  shape  and 
relative  position  of  the  masses  will  be  unfinished  and  defective 


SKY  OUTLINES  OF  GROUPS. 


167 


unless  their  upper  outlines,  when  fully  grown,  are  properly  calcu- 
lated upon.  From  some  point  of  view,  whether  nearer  or  more 
distant,  the  tops  of  almost  every  mass  of  plants  will  cut  the 


Fig.  ill. 

horizon,  and  stand  out  against  a  back  ground  of  mere  sky.  If 
nicely  disposed,  this  sky  outline  will  yield  the  most  charming 
effects.  But  it  may  also  be  hard,  or  tame,  and  thus  become 
disagreeable  or  utterly  ineffective. 

By  a  reference  to  nature,  especially  in  her  older  vegetable 
forms,  a  few  large  and  comprehensive  hints  may  soon  be 
gathered  on  this  point.  In  the  horizontal  outlines  of  forest 
groups,  the  greatest  diversity,  and  yet  the  most  pleasing  round- 
ness and  interfusion  of  parts,  is  observable.  Like  the  ground 
lines  of  shrubberies  which  I  have  just  attempted  to  sketch, 
there  will  be  a  great  number  of  bolder  or  lesser  curves,  united 
together  to  make  up  broader  sweeps  and  more  expansive  varia- 
tions. Occasionally  a  tree  or  shrub  of  some  spiry  or  unusually 
upright  character  will  spring  out  of  the  masses  of  round-headed 
vegetation,  and  give  increased  variety  to  the  outline,  without 


168 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


weakening  the  general  smoothness  of  the  effect;  while  the 
edges  of  the  masses  will  be  delightfully  softened  off  and 
feathered  down,  so  as  to  unite  by  an  easy  and  graceful  line 
with  the  sweep  of  the  ground  in  the  glades  between  them. 

It  is  something  of  this  sort,  in  a  humbler  way,  that  is  wanted 
in  garden  or  home  plantations.     The  sky  line  requires  to  be 


Fis.  112. 


broken,  but  not  in  a  hard  or  abrupt  manner.  Trees  or  shrubs 
should  tower  out,  here  and  there,  above  the  rest;  but  they 
must  not  be  unsupported.      (See  figs.  112  and  113.)     Their 


edges  should  blend  with  other  forms  by  the  softest  transition. 
Boldness,  as  well  as  easiness  of  change,  will  be  highly  effective. 


SKY   OUTLINES  OF   PLANTATIONS. 


169 


But  it  should  be  like  the  bold  swell  of  a  general  curve,  com- 
posed, it  may  be,  of  several  parts,  but  the  outer  of  these 
gradually  carrying  down  the  line  to  the  lower  and  humbler 
forms.  Or,  if  the  more  spiry  plants  now  and  then  find  a  place, 
as  they  may  do  most  usefully,  to  give  greater  change  and 
strength  of  character,  they  should  not  rise  very  much  above 
the  rest,  and  should  appear  to  belong  to  a  group  of  the  more 
spreading  and  clustering  kinds,  like  the  spire  of  a  church 
peering  out  from  amid  a  grove  of  ancient  Elms. 

On  estates  where  there  are  sufficient  variation  of  surface  and 
extent  of  property  to  admit  of  the  introduction  of  such  a  feature, 
a  most  happy  effect  may  sometimes  be  produced  by  partially 
planting  the  summit  and  slope  of  an  adjacent  hill,  (fig.  1 1 4,)  so 


Fiff.  114. 


as  to  convey  the  idea  of  large  woods,  of  which  the  parts  seen 
are  but  the  stra^fflinsc  arms  or  oif-shoots,  lying  behind  and  on 
the  other  face  of  the  hill.  And  if  treated  with  proper  boldness 
and  regard  to  diversity,  such  masses  of  wood,  with  their  out- 
lying specimen  trees  or  bushes,  will  greatly  enrich  the  hill,  and 
relieve  it  from  any  tendency  to  undue  roundness  or  tameness 
of  outline.  An  excellent  model  for  this  treatment  may  often  be 
seen  in  the  delightfully  picturesque  and  ragged  patches  of  com- 
mon Furze  with  which  Nature  sometimes  clothes  the  faces  of 
hills  of  a  similar  character;  such  masses  nearly  always  pre- 
senting a  remarkable  freshness,  freedom,  and  beauty  of  outline. 

8 


170  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

8.  In  respect  to  the  disposal  of  flowers  in  gardens,  if  we 
include  in  that  term  all  the  simply  herbaceous  kinds  that  are 
not  shrubby,  or,  at  any  rate,  merely  such  additional  low  shrubs 
as  are  grown  out  of  doors  only  in  the  summer,  a  considerable 
reformation  in  the  prevailing  practice  seems  demanded.  Go 
where  we  will,  into  old  or  new  places,  it  is  seldom  indeed  that 
the  beds  or  masses  of  shrubs  on  a  lawn  are  not  entirely  sur- 
rounded with  a  strip  of  ground  appropriated  exclusively  to  the 
herbaceous  tribes.  The  edges  of  groups  are  thus  most  defec- 
tively and  tamely  finished  off;  they  have  an  exceedingly 
blank  appearance  in  winter;  the  size  of  the  lawn  is  materially 
diminished ;  and  such  borders  can  never,  without  a  great  deal 
;of  trouble,  be  very  neatly  kept.  To  compensate  for  all  this, 
they  impart  a  little  additional  gaiety  during  summer,  which 
might,  however,  be  readily  attained  in  other  ways. 

The  desirable  plan  would  be,  to  dismiss  all  common  herba- 
ceous plants  from  the  fronts  of  groups  on  the  lawn,  and  to 
supply  their  place  with  small  circular  beds,  or  masses  of  other 
shapes,  filled  with  flowers  of  one  sort  or  one  tribe,  or  with  a 
mixture  of  different  kinds,  according  to  the  size  of  the  beds.  In 
other  parts,  again,  single  specimens  might  be  put,  or  two  or 
three  plants  placed  together  so  as  to  look  like  a  good  clustering 
specimen,  of  taller  or  dwarfer  varieties  that  are  worthy  of  being 
thus  detached.  And  by  these  means,  a  sufficient  amount  of 
liveliness  may  be  produced  on  a  lawn,  while  the  beds  and  single 
plants  can  be  so  arranged,  in  conformity  with  the  suggestions 
before  given  for  groupings  and  connecting  objects  on  lawns, 
that,  though  they  will  last  only  during  summer,  they  will  then 
seem  but  a  more  elaborate  carrying  out  of  a  consistent  plan, 
while  in  winter,  the  garden  will  be  complete  without  them, 
and  they  can,  if  very  staring  and  conspicuous,  on  account  of 
their  emptiness,  be  readily  turfed  over  till  the  summer  returns. 
At  any  rate,  a  portion  of  them  may  be  thus  treated. 

That  flowers  in  small  beds  or  masses,  with  occasional  single 
specimens  of  them,  (such  as  Dahlias,  Fuchsias,  two  or  three 
scarlet  Pelargoniums  planted  so  as  to  look  like  one,  Petunias, 


FLO  WEES  AND   HERBACEOUS   PLANTS.  171 

supported  by  a  low  fancy  frame  of  wire,  and  many  other  things,) 
produce  a  finer  and  more  artistic  effect  on  a  lawn,  with  the 
groups  of  shrubs  reposing  entirely  on  the  grass,  than  by  the  old 
method  of  growing  them  in  borders,  any  one  who  has  seen  the 
plan  well  adopted  will,  it  is  thought,  immediately  admit. 
Greater  breadth  and  more  variety  are  thus  produced.  And  each 
tribe  gets  its  appropriate  treatment,  without  interference  from 
the  other ;  while  all  are  exhibited  to  the  highest  advantage. 

9.  Not  to  banish  the  large  class  of 'herbaceous plants  and  bulbs 
which  could  not  be  thus  brought  together  in  beds,  and  many  of 
which,  more  especially  the  spring-flowering  species,  are  ex- 
tremely interesting ;  I  would  grow  them  in  the  places  usually 
assigned  to  them  round  all  the  masses  of  shrubs  for  the  first 
three  or  four  years  after  these  were  planted,  and  until  they 
became  fit  to  be  surrounded  wholly  with  turf,  when  the  lower 
tribes  might  be  consigned  altogether  to  those  back  borders, 
which  faced  the  side  walks  and  were  not  seen  from  the  lawn, 
or  to  such  other  parts  of  the  pleasure  grounds  as  did  not  come 
into  view  from  the  house,  and  of  which  the  shrubbery  walk 
will  be  an  illustration. 

It  must  be  remembered,  then,  that  shrubs  which  are  but  just 
planted  and  insufficiently  established,  will  not  bear  turfing 
around  for  several  years,  without  injury.  They  7-equire  air  to 
their  roots  to  start  them  freely.  And  any  neglect  of  this 
circumstance,  by  turfing  around  them  prematurely,  will  be  pro- 
ductive of  the  very  worst  consequences,  and  has  been  known  to 
retard  (almost  to  stop)  their  growth  for  many  years,  or  even  to 
go  very  far  towards  destroying  them  altogether.  But  they 
need  not  have  a  broad  border  for  this  purpose,  and  anything 
beyond  four  or  five  feet  will  be  both  superfluous  and  ugly. 

By  keeping  the  commoner  herbaceous  plants  in  such  private 
parts  as  have  been  named,  they  may  be  cultivated  just  as  fitly 
as  if  they  were  in  the  more  exposed  places  where  they  are  now 
usually  grown.  And  they  can  thus  be  allowed  a  breadth  of 
border  which  will  give  them  a  much  finer  opportunity  of 
deve1  oping  themselves ;  only  taking  care  that  specimen  shrubs 


172  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

are  brought  forward  singly  or  in  groups  here  and  there,  along 
the  border,  to  do  away  with  all  monotony,  and  produce  a  little 
more  freshness  and  life. 

10.  Where  a  place  is  so  small  that  there  cannot  be  many 
single  plants  grown  upon  the  lawn,  to  exhibit  their  full  beauty 
and  proportions,  it  will  be  a  judicious  plan  to  treat  a  number  of 
the  plants  in  the  beds  or  groups  mainly  as  specimens,  that  they 
may  show  themselves  better,  and  that  the  natural  desire  for 
individualising  objects  of  attention,  and  watching  and  tending 
them  during  their  progress,  may  be  duly  gratified.  Besides 
which,  by  thus  making  each  plant  a  more  or  less  perfect  one,  a 
way  will  be  prepared  for  subsequently  covering  more  of  the  soil 
in  the  bed  with  turf,  and  so  increasing  the  ^ize  of  the  lawn,  or 
ultimately  turfing  over  the  whole  and  leaving  the  best  plants  to 
stand  on  the  grass. 

The  method  of  rendering  individual  plants  shapely  and  fit  to 
stand  by  themselves  is  very  simple.  It  is  not  by  planting  so 
thinly  in  the  first  instance:  for.  however  that  plan  might  succeed 
in  some  Boils  and  climates,  it  will  more  generally  be  found 
serviceable  to  plant  rather  thickly,  in  order  to  afford  encourage- 
ment and  shelter.  It  is  by  early  and  annual  attention  to 
thinning,  and  by  preventing  any  one  plant  from  intruding  on 
another,  whether  as  to  light,  air.  or  nourishment  from  the  soil, 
that  the  best  specimens  can  be  reared.  And  though  it  maybe 
prudent  to  put  in  at  first  such  kinds  of  plants  at  such  distances 
as  will  finally  lie  required  for  fixture-,  and  fill  in.  between  them, 
with  commoner  sorts  for  a  temporary  purpose,  it  will  be  wise,  in 
thinning,  to  choose  rather  those  things  which  have  made  a  good 
healthy  growth,  and  are  net  really  inappropriate,  than  mere 
sickly  objects  which  may  have  been  intended  to  remain,  and 
have  not  individually  made  progress  enough,  or  do  not  exhibit 
sufficient  promise,  to  justify  their  retention. 

Sometimes,  when  persons  have  thoroughly  imbued  themselves 
with  the  notion  that  specimens  are  the  chief  thing  to  be  desired 
in  a  small  place,  they  gradually  acquire  the  impression  that 
nothing  eUto  is  proper  to  be  encouraged,  and  that  everything 


SPECIMEN   PLANTS.  173 

should  be  made  into  a  specimen.  This  opinion,  however,  if 
fully  acted  upon,  would  lead  to  as  much  sameness  and  dull- 
ness, as  if  nothing  but  dense  and  variegated  masses  of  plants 
were  cultivated.  The  most  beautiful  combinations  and  the 
most  exquisite  variety  will  result  from  letting  a  few  plants  of 
different  heights  and  characters  grow  together  in  some  parts, 
as  they  do  in  a  state  of  nature ;  where  bushes  and  trees  often 
mingle  their  forms,  and  are  linked  into  closer  union  by  the 
tangling  Clematis,  or  lusty  briar,  or  more  luxuriant  bramble. 

11.  Towards  the  boundaries  of  a  place,  the  plants  in  a  bor- 
der, especially  if  it  be  narrow,  will  have  to  be  treated  still 
more  generally,  and  with  a  less  regard  to  their  individual 
appearance.  Here  the  aim  must  be  to  obtain  a  good  under- 
growth  if  there  be  trees,  or  to  permit  the  formation  of  thick- 
ets where  there  are  only  shrubs.  They  may  likewise  be  parts 
of  an  inner  plantation,  or  group,  where  peculiar  denseness  is 
wanted  to  cover  some  defect,  or  to  make  the  walk  more  per- 
fectly private ;  and  in  these  the  same  characteristics  should  be 
cherished. 

Thickets,  besides  being  useful  as  screens  to  various  objects, 
will,  when  only  occasional  deviations  from  the  system  o^l  making 
each  plant  a  specimen,  be  interesting  both  for  their  variety  and 
beauty.  They  will  form  a  great  change  from  the  more  open 
method  of  culture,  and  exhibit  much  beauty  of  connexion  and 
contrast.  There  will  be  a  luxuriance,  and  a  freeness,  and  an 
inderiniteness  about  them  which  will  not  tail  to  please.  It  is 
not  to  be  assumed,  however,  that  such  masses  are  intended  to 
be  as  thick  as  the  plants  will  stand  on  the  ground,  or  to  be  left 
to  a  pure  state  of  nature.  In  that  case  the  stronger  would  soon 
overpower  the  weaker,  and  the  better  sorts  would  die  out, 
leaving  serious  gaps  where  they  had  grown :  and  a  wildtu  ss 
and  win!  of  cultivation,  foreign  to  the  character  of  a  garden, 
would  speedily  ensue.  The  term  thicket  is  used  here  to  define 
a  plantation  in  which  shrubs  prevail,  and  where  they  are  but 
sparingly  kept  thinned  out,  and  are  allowed  to  grow  into  each 
other  pretty  freely,  so  long  as  they  are  not  likely  to  destroy 


174  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

one  another.  It  is  a  mass  wherein  the  plants  are  so  arranged,, 
and  stand  so  thickly,  that  it  cannot  be  seen  through ;  not  one 
which  has  been  produced  by  neglect. 

Undergrowth  will  be  chiefly,  almost  solely,  requisite  beneath 
trees  which  are  growing  so  closely  together  that  their  branches 
cannot  reach  the  ground,  and  the  bare  steins  become  prominent 
and  unsightly  in  consequence,  while  the  object  of  the  plantation, 
as  respects  the  concealment  of  a  boundary,  is  defeated. 
Scarcely  any  plant  is  equal  to  the  Holly  for  undergrowth,  since 
it  will  flourish  under  trees,  and  is  not  limited  as  to  height,  and  is 
a  thorough  evergreen.  Privet  is  superior  as  a  rapid  grower 
and  of  a  denser  habit,  if  not  too  much  drawn  up ;  but  it  is  defi- 
cient in  the  size  of  the  leaves,  and  in  not  being  entirely  ever- 
green. Rhododendrons  thrive  exceedingly  well  under  shade ; 
but  require  careful  watering  for  a  year  or  two.  Portugal  lau- 
rels and  common  laurels  will  endure  some  amount  of  it,  but  are 
injured  by  an  excessive  quantity.  The  Box-tree  and  the  Yew 
are  more  capable  of  withstanding  its  influence.  The  Aucuba 
japonica  is  remarkably  useful,  since  I  have  noticed  it  in  the 
most  perfect  health  around  the  very  stem  of  a  large  Fulham 
Oak.  And  the  evergreen  Berberry,  as  a  low-growing  bush,  is 
an  admirable  plant  for  placing  beneath  trees.  All  these  are 
evergreen,  and,  of  course,  so  much  the  more  adapted  for  filling 
up  permanently  the  space  under  trees.  Elders,  Dogwoods,  the 
Norway  Maple,  Snowberries,  and  even  Lilacs,  as  deciduous 
plants,  will  thrive  beneath  shade,  though  they  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  bloom  much  in  that  position.  The  true  secret  of 
causing  any  of  the  plants  mentioned  to  succeed  permanently 
when  largely  overshadowed  by  trees,  lies  in  renewing  the  soil 
around  and  above  the  roots  occasionally,  to  compensate  for 
the  exhaustion  produced  by  the  more  extensive  absorption  of 
its  nutritive  properties  by  the  trees. 

12.  As  a  garden  will  only  contain  a  comparatively  limited 
number  of  plants,  it  is  a  matter  of  policy  to  have  the  majority 
of  these  evergreens,  that  in  the  winter  season,  when  all  else  is  so 
dreary,  it  may  wear  a  moderately  green  and  cheerful  expression., 


EVERGREENS.  175 

Of  these,  such  as  bloom  gaily  and  abundantly,  and  particularly 
such  as  blossom  in  the  winter,  or  bear  showy  fruit  at  that  time, 
or  have  variegated  foliage,  should  be  selected,  as  tending  less 
to  create  sombreness  and  gloom,  and  combining  the  elegance 
of  their  flowers  or  their  appearance  with  the  permanence  of 
their  leaves.  Under  the  head  of  expression,  in  a  previous 
chapter,  a  few  of  the  gayest  of  the  evergreen  tribe  have  been 
enumerated.  To  those  may  now  be  added,  more  specifically, 
the  various  sorts  of  Holly,  the  double-b!ossomed  Furze,  several 
kinds  of  Broom,  Garry  a  ettiptica,  Rhododendrons,  Andromeda 
jloribunda,  Berberls  aquifolium,  Cotoneaster  mierophyVa,  nu- 
merous Heaths,  Kalmias,  rock  and  sun  roses,  Gum  Cistus,  the 
varieties  of  Alaternus,  Junipers,  Cypresses,  A rbor-Vitie,  Laven- 
der, Sweet  Bay,  Portugal  Laurel,  common  Laurel,  Daphnes,  &c. 

Although  evergreens  may  fitly  thus  prevail  in  a  place,  it 
will  be  unwise  to  cultivate  them  to  the  exclusion  of  deciduous 
shrubs.  The  latter,  by  their  lighter  foliage,  and  sprightlier 
manner  of  growth,  and  showier  flowers,  seem  to  be  the  natural 
bodying  forth  of  summer's  richness  and  gaiety.  And  this 
glorious  season  would  scarcely  appear  rightly  attended  and 
adorned  without  them.  They  are,  indeed,  as  thoroughly  the 
life  of  summer  as  evergreens  are  of  winter ;  and  perhaps,  of 
the  two,  the  absence  of  winter's  decorations  wrould  be  even 
least  regretted  by  the  mass. 

Nor  must  the  higher  forms  of  deciduous  plants,  which  take 
the  shape  of  low  trees,  be  at  all  omitted  from  our  consideration. 
These,  and  a  few  of  the  more  striking  and  peculiar  kinds  of 
larger  trees, — such  as  the  purple  Beech,  the  variegated  Syca- 
more, the  Scarlet  Oak,  the  Lombardy  Poplar,  and  numerous 
others, — will  be  invaluable  in  the  way  of  contributing  variety, 
and  improving  the  outlines.  It  will  be  sufheient  to  mention 
Laburnums,  Almonds,  the  extensive  and  deeply  interesting 
tribe  of  Thorns,  the  double  Cherries,  double  Peach,  and  double 
Almonds,  the  Sumachs,  the  snowy  Mespilus,  the  Pyrus  specta- 
hilis,  the  Bird  Cherry,  the  Mountain  Ash,  the  Services,  Ford's 
upright  Elm,  and  the  various  kinds  of  weeping  Ash,  Elm,  Lime, 


176 


GENERAL   OBJECTS. 


Beech,  Laburnum,  Willow,  &c,  as  a  few  examples  of  this  large 
and  most  useful  class. 

13.  To  produce  a  little  undulation  in  the  surface  of  a  lawn, 
and  give  the  beds  and  single  specimens  additional  elevation  and 
character,  the  soil  in  the  beds  should  be  raised  several  inches  or 
a  foot  above  the  level  of  the  grass,  and  each  specimen  should 
stand  (fig.  115)  on  a  small  hillock.     This  practice  will  have  the 


Fig.  115. 

further  advantage  of  draining  the  plants  well,  and  bringing 
their  roots  more  within  reach  of  air, — of  placing  the  best  parts 
of  the  plants  more  on  a  level  with  the  eye, — of  giving  them 
more  importance  and  making  them  look  larger, — and  of  throw- 
ing out  their  proportions  better.  It  is  likewise  more  accord- 
ant with  nature  ;  for  when  these  trifling  elevations  have  fully 
settled  down,  they  will  but  resemble,  in  a  rather  exaggerated 
form,  the  slighter  swells  common  about  the  base  of  the  trunks 
of  old  trees,  and  consequent  partly  on  accumulations  of  vege- 
table matter,  but  principally  on  the  exj>ansion  of  the  thicker 
roots. 

By  raising  the  surface  of  the  beds,  moreover,  an  opportunity 
is  given  for  exhibiting  their  outlines  better,  and  for  obtaining 


Fig.  116. 

more  play  of  surface  around  them.  But  the  raised  parts  must 
blend  very  gently,  and  sweetly,  and  by  a  scarcely  perceptible 
convex  line  at  the  top,  and  a  very  easy  and  more  or  less 
prolonged  concave  line  at  the  bottom,  (fig.  116,)  with  the  levels 


ARCHITECTUKAL   GARDENING.  177 

of  the  ground ;  and  the  grass  should  ascend  along  their  margin 
to  within  about  two  inches  of  the  summit.  Raised  beds,  thus 
softly  shaded  off  and  turfed  at  the  edges,  will  present  an  incon- 
ceivably more  beautiful  outline  than  such  as  are  merely  flat. 
Indeed,  with  numerous  and  varied  curves  it  is  impossible  to 
avoid  a  certain  amount  of  tameness  (and  yet  almost  frivolity) 
on  a  plain  surface,  while  a  high  stage  of  beauty  in  lines  and 
shapes  may  be  reached  without  difficulty  with  an  elevated  bed 
to  operate  upon. 

14.  The  subject  of  architectural  gardening  has  been  inci- 
dentally discussed  in  relation  to  the  geometrical  style  of  treat- 
ment, and  in  other  parts  of  this  book.  But  the  feeling  for  it 
is  one  that  is  so  rapidly  growing,  and  so  little  sound  knowledge 
of  its  details  is  commonly  possessed,  that  a  few  additional  par- 
ticulars and  illustrations  become  essential.  In  adverting  to 
it,  however,  I  am  tempted  to  make  a  short  incursion  into  the 
territory  of  a  neighbouring  profession, — architecture, — with 
which,  indeed,  it  is  so  closely  connected,  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  treat  of  the  one  without  trespassing  on  the  other. 

Gardening  and  architecture,  like  all  the  fine  arts,  have  much 
in  common.  And  that  department  of  architecture  which  be- 
longs more  exclusively  to  the  garden  has,  especially,  a  great 
affinity  with  gardening  in  its  broader  principles.  In  fact,  there 
is  much  more  relation  between  the  two  than  is  usually  admit- 
ted, or  than  the  ordinary  products  of  practitioners  in  either 
art  would  at  all  justify  us  in  believing. 

Architectural  decoration  is  not,  as  many  would  assert,  unfitted 
for  English  gardens,  on  account  of  the  coldness  and  dulness  of 
our  climate  ;  because  stone  gets  speedily  weather-stained  and 
sobered  down  in  colour,  and  the  fine  evergreens  and  beautiful 
grass  of  this  country  will,  in  association  with  architectural 
objects,  impart  sufficient  warmth  of  tone.  France,  Italy,  and 
even  China,  have  been  more  zealous  in  applying  garden  archi- 
tecture than  Great  Britain.  And  the  earlier  specimens  of 
English  gardening  are  often  richer  in  architectural  features 
than  those  of  a  later  period.     There  has,  indeed,  been  a  sub- 


178  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

sequent  retrogression  in  this  branch,  in  consequence  of  the 
introduction  of  a  more  natural  manner ;  for  gardening,  like 
most  artistic  pursuits,  has  had  its  historical  cycles. 

Modern  tendencies  in  gardening  have  been  too  much  away 
from  its  character  as  an  art,  and  the  more  it  is  restored  to  its 
legitimate  position,  the  more  nearly  will  it  be  brought  into 
kindred  with  architecture.  On  the  other  hand,  the  too  com- 
monly cumbrous,  regular,  and  unyielding  nature  of  architectural 
objects,  when  used  for  garden  decoration,  has  tended  still  further 
to  detach  two  pursuits  which  are  essentially  and  obviously  allied. 
For  as  a  house  and  a  garden  are  naturally  and  intimately  asso- 
ciated, and  it  is  a  law  of  the  universe  that  the  boundaries  of 
each  domain  in  the  natural  kingdom  should  insensibly  mingle 
and  be  lost  in  each  other ;  so  it  is  plain  that  an  unvitiated 
taste  would  be  most  gratified  when  the  province  of  architecture 
is  extended  so  as  to  embrace  lightly  and  harmoniously  such 
parts  of  the  garden  as  may  be  most  contiguous  to  the  house ; 
while  the  garden  also,  in  these  parts,  rises  in  character  to  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  architecture,  until  either  art  is  so 
refined  and  attenuated  that  it  would  be  almost  difficult  to  say 
what  belongs  exclusively  to  each. 

Still,  there  is  that  about  gardening,  which  in  the  nature  of 
things,  and  apart  from  the  difference  of  the  materials  with  which 
it  has  to  deal,  constitutes  it  a  distinctive  art.  And  garden 
architecture  has  lineaments  of  its  own  so  decidedly  removed 
from  those  of  house  architecture,  and  so  seldom  studied,  that 
the  ordinary  architectural  practitioner  is  at  sea  the  moment  he 
enters  the  region  of  the  garden.  It  is  less  a  matter  of  rule  and 
measurement.  Its  effects  are  more  to  be  judged  of  by  the  eye. 
It  comprehends  a  far  greater  variety  of  combinations.  It 
requires  a  man  to  be  as  much  an  artist  (at  least  in  feeling) 
as  an  architect,  and  to  be  familiar  with  natural  groupings  and 
tones  ; — to  take  in  an  entire  landscape  in  the  range  of  his  design, 
and  not  merely  isolated  or  detached  objects.  In  fact,  the  garden 
architect  has  to  make  a  general  picture,  and  not  simply  to  set  a 
work  of  art,  as  it  were,  on  a  solitary  pedestal. 


GARDEN  ARCHITECTURE.  179 

The  province  of  garden  architecture  is,  primarily,  to  supply 
fitting  appendages  and  accompaniments  to  a  house,  so  that  the 
latter  may  not  appear  naked,  alone,  and  unsupported.  It* 
judiciously  applied,  it  will  be  effective  in  helping  to  produce  a 
good  outline  or  group ;  to  carry  down  the  lines  of  the  house ; 
to  connect  it  with  other  buildings,  such  as  a  conservatory, 
arbour,  &c. ;  to  provide  a  proper  basement  for  the  house ;  to 
afford  shelter  and  privacy  to  a  flower  garden ;  to  extend  the 
facade  or  frontage  of  a  house ;  to  shut  out  back  yards,  offices, 
&c. ;  to  enrich,  vary,  and  enliven  the  garden ;  to  supply  con- 
veniences, such  as  shelter,  receptacles  for  birds,  plants,  sculpture, 
&c,  with  museums  for  works  of  art  or  specimens  of  natural 
history,  and  supports  for  climbing  plants ;  to  indicate  refine- 
ment, wealth,  and  a  love  of  art ;  and  otherwise  to  blend  the 
various  constituents  of  a  garden  with  the  house,  and  harmonise 
the  two  by  communicating  a  more  artistic  tone  to  the  garden. 

Wing  walls  to  a  house,  broken  by  a  conservatory,  and  termi- 
nated by  a  summer-house,  aviary,  museum,  or  sculpture-room ; 
corridors,  similarly  broken  and  terminated,  and  glazed  or  open 
so  as  merely  to  form  covered  ways ;  conservative  walls,  either 
glazed  or  simply  protected  by  bold  projecting  piers  and  copings ; 
viaducts,  aqueducts,  arbours,  arches,  arcades,  tunnels,  boat- 
houses,  temples,  prospect  and  flag-towers;  with  an  almost 
infinite  number  of  smaller  objects,  such  as  sculptured  figures, 
sun-dials,  statuary,  pillars,  obelisks,  terrace  Avails,  &e.,  con- 
stitute the  elements  with  which  garden  architecture  has  to 
work. 

In  its  leading  traits,  it  necessarily  comes  within  the  same 
category  as  house  architecture,  and  is  governed  by  the  same 
principles.  Like  the  house,  it  should  exhibit  design,  some 
degree  of  symmetry,  harmony  of  parts,  unity  of  expression, 
consistency  of  style,  fitness  for  the  locality,  adaptation  for  the 
intended  purpose,  and  stability  and  permanence  of  appearance. 

But  it  should  also  display  a  greater  amount  of  lightness  and 
elegance ;  a  comparative  absence  of  regularity ;  a  decorative 
rather  than  an  exclusively  useful  purpose ;  a  superior  variety 


180  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

of  outline ;  extreme  attention  to  general  grouping ;  a  blending 
of  its  forms  with  those  of  nature ;  an  especial  regard  for  placing 
its  creations  where  they  will  have  a  distinct  meaning  and  object ; 
a  leaning  to  the  use  of  good  materials,  but  somewhat  rougher 
than  those  employed  in  the  house ;  a  preference  rather  for  a 
picturesque  outline,  than  for  mere  ornamental  details ;  and,  as 
a  most  important  characteristic,  a  marked  boldness  and  pro- 
minence of  parts.  Indeed,  picturesqueness,  such  as  would  be 
occasioned  by  changes  of  level  in  the  ground,  by  diversity  in  the 
heights  of  walls,  by  prominent  piers,  buttresses,  or  cornices,  by 
broad  projecting  eaves  to  the  roofs  of  buildings,  and  by  any 
arrangement  that  will  yield  depth  of  shadow,  should  be  the 
ruling  constituent  of  garden  architecture. 

Every  architectural  object,  admitted  into  a  garden,  should 
form  part  of  the  general  plan  of  that  garden,  and  fit  into  its 
proper  place.  It  will  create  a  serious  incongruity  if  merely 
put  down  at  random,  or  not  duly  established  as  a  part  of  the 
main  design.  Smaller  architectural  ornaments,  too,  must  be 
adequately  connected  with  and  kept  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  house  or  other  sufficiently  important  building ;  otherwise, 
they  will  be  too  different  from  the  forms  of  nature  to  appear 
harmonious. 

A  strictly  garden  building,  or  object,  unless  very  large,  should 
never  be  obtrusive.  It  ought  always  to  be  quiet-looking,  and  not 
violently  different  in  colour  from  the  surrounding  vegetation. 
Hence,  white,  whether  in  marble,  stone,  or  painted  objects,  is 
decidedly  to  be  avoided,  and  a  warm  drab,  or  darker  tint 
preferred. 

When  a  terrace  or  other  ornamental  wall — whether  balus- 
traded  or  otherwise  pierced,  or  simply  devoid  of  any  relief  in 
the  way  of  openings — becomes  the  principal  foreground  to  a 
garden  or  other  scene,  as  viewed  from  the  windows  of  the 
house,  it  will,  however  much  it  may  be  broken  up  by  piers, 
vases,  &c,  appear  too  hard,  cold,  and  monotonous  without  some 
aid  from  grass  and  shrubs.  In  all  such  cases,  therefore,  there 
should  be  a  broad  band  of  grass  between  the  terrace  walk  and 


GARDEN   ARCHITECTURE.  181 

the  wall,  and  a  few  clusters  of  evergreens,  rising  in  broken 
masses  above  the  line  of  the  wall,  or  of  climbers  mantling  its 
summit  in  occasional  patches,  will  require  to  be  skilfully  intro- 
duced, otherwise  the  wall  would  seem  to  divorce  rather  than 
mingle  with  the  landscape  beyond. 

To  pass  from  the  consideration  of  garden  architecture,  which, 
however  seductive  a  topic,  scarcely  falls  within  the  range  of  this 
work,  I  now  return  to  the  subject  of  architectural  gardening. 
Its  distinctive  principles  are — a  strict  observance  of  rule  /  a 
prominent  indication  or  exhibition  of  art ;  the  maintenance 
of  a  decided  harmony  and  connexion  with  the  house  and  other 
architectural  objects ;  the  adoption  of  regular  figures ;  the 
employment  of  rigid,  formal,  and  exotic  plants ;  the  necessity 
for  flat  and  even  surfaces,  with  the  use  of  terrace  banks  or 
extremely  regular  slopes ;  and  the  production  of  a  conspicuous 
character  of  dignity  and  repose. 

The  proper  sphere  of  architectural  gardening  is  the  imme- 
diate neighbourhood  of  the  house ;  as  an  accompaniment  to  par- 
ticular styles  of  architecture,  especially  the  Italian  ;  in  con- 
nexion with  detached  architectural  structures,  as  temples,  plant- 
houses,  &c. ;  within  the  circuit  of  the  flower  garden,  parterre, 
rose  garden,  &c. ;  in  the  gardens  attached  to  a  palace,  mansion, 
or  first-class  villa,  rather  than  to  a  small  villa  or  cottage 
residence  ;  the  kitchen  garden ;  and,  where  the  circumstances 
are  favourable,  the  town  garden. 

There  are  certain  incongruities  and  defects  which  frequently 
attend  the  practice  of  architectural  gardening,  and  which 
should  be  sedulously  avoided.  Some  of  these  are  the  mixture 
of  inharmonious  styles ;  the  use  of  rustic  or  unarchitectural 
ornaments,  except  in  remote  parts,  and  where  they  will  not  be 
observed  as  constituents  of  the  general  scene ;  the  placing  of 
terrace  walls  or  other  erections  on  a  sloping  bank,  or  where 
they  have  shelving  ground  immediately  below  them;  the 
extension  of  a  formal  mode  of  treatment  into  the  park ;  gene- 
rally the  obtrusion  of  a  flower  garden  into  the  view  from  the 
principal  windows,  unless  it  be  on  a  lower  level  than  the  base  of 


182  '       GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

the  house  ;  an  avenue  or  row  of  trees  that  crosses  any  main  line 
of  view,  or  one  on  the  summit  of  a  hill  that  forms  the  line  of 
horizon  ;  a  curved  avenue  ;  a  ground  line  that  is  oblique  to  the 
basement  of  the  house,  on  either  of  its  chief  fronts ;  diagonal 
lines  of  walk  on  lawns,  or  walks  crossing  or  starting  from  other 
straight  walks  at  any  but  a  right  angle ;  plants  trimmed  into 
formal  or  grotesque  figures,  unless  it  be  the  heads  of  standards, 
— plants  with  naturally  appropriate  habits,  or  confined  in  tubs, 
being  preferable ;  gravel  walks,  in  flower  gardens,  that  are 
inaccessible  ;  monograms,  or  very  intricate  patterns,  in  which 
the  beds  are  too  small  to  admit  flowers,  for  parterres ;  and  the 
employment  of  pavements,  gravels,  or  sands,  oi  different  colours, 
in  the  place  of  flowers,  or  merely  for  producing  variety  or 
contrast. 

Among  the  most  characteristic  details  of  architectural  garden- 
ing, prominence  should  be  given  to  terraces;  broad,  flat,  and 
conspicuous  wTalks;  extreme  smoothness  and  polish ;  changes  of 
level,  effected  by  formal  banks  or  walls  ;  raised  beds  and  sunken 
panels;  avenues,  vistas,  rows  of  flower  beds;  walks  and  vistas 
terminating  with  some  proper  object,  as  a  temple,  obelisk, 
pillar,  &c. ;  rectangular  forms,  or  those  in  which  various  seg- 
ments of  a  circle  are  combined  ;  with  a  sunk  fence  and  parapet 
wall  as  boundaries  to  a  garden. 

There  are  likewise  many  desirable  accessories,  of  which  a  few 
may  be  noted.  These  are — a  sufficient  breadth  of  open  lawn 
between  the  house  and  the  park ;  a  detached  flower  garden,  with 
accompanying  plant -houses,  glass  walls,  or  walls  for  ornamental 
climbers,  and  the  opportunity  of  looking  down  upon  this  garden 
from  a  raised  terrace ;  a  rose  garden,  in  a  retired  spot,  with 
attendant  rose-house  or  houses  for  delicate  sorts ;  a  winter 
garden,  to  be  filled  exclusively  with  evergreens,  the  beds 
arranged  in  pattern,  with  a  due  admixture  of  specimens,  and  all 
the  plants  selected  with  reference  to  their  habits  and  the  colour 
of  their  foliage  in  winter  ;  a  garden  for  bulbs,  florists'  flowers, 
<fcc,  in  some  spot  which  need  not  be  made  accessible  during  the 
winter  ;  standard  or  fastigiate  plants  ;  plants  that  blend  best 


ARCHITECTURAL  GARDENING.  183 

with  architectural  objects;  groups  or  beds  of  plants,  in  which 
one  kind  or  class  prevails ;  and  hedges,  whether  to  frame  and 
enclose  scenes  that  it  is  wished  to  detach,  or,  in  a  diminutive 
state,  to  make  borders  and  edgings  to  flower-beds  and  clumps. 

In  practically  applying  the  principles  of  architectural  garden- 
ing, it  should  be  remembered  that,  as  extreme  irregularity  is  a 
merit  and  a  beauty  in  most  kinds  of  Gothic  architecture,  the 
garden  accompanying  it  will  also  bear  to  be  treated  in  an 
equally  irregular  manner.  But,  in  relation  to  any  variety  of 
Grecian  or  Italian  house,  the  garden,  like  the  architecture, 
should  be  more  distinguished  by  symmetry  and  regularity. 
Architectural  gardening  would,  further,  be  out  of  place  in  con- 
nexion with  a  house  inferior  in  design,  or  destitute  of  character 
and  style.  It  is  peculiarly  suitable  for  a  tame  and  smooth 
general  landscape ;  but  is  quite  admissible,  for  contrast,  in  a 
picturesque,  bold,  and  wild  region.  It  specially  demands  that 
everything  should  be  good,  and  nicely  finished  ;  that  the  plants 
shall  be  of  the  best  and  most  carefully  selected  kinds;  the  grass 
evenly  laid ;  the  figures,  and  beds,  and  edgings  of  walks,  neatly 
and  accurately  cut ;  the  gravel  fine  and  well-laid,  and  its  smooth- 
ness (and  that  of  the  edgings)  not  obviously  broke.i  by  gratings. 
The  edgings,  too,  should  all  be  particularly  shallow,  the  edges 
of  terrace  banks  quite  square  and  even  at  the  top,  and  the  soil 
in  the  beds  and  clumps  very  slightly  raised  above  the  level  of 
the  lawn.  The  spaces  for  specimens,  flower  beds,  and  masses  of 
shrubs  should,  moreover,  be  cut  out  of  the  flat  lawn,  and  not 
have  the  grass  curved  up  to  them  as  in  the  more  natural  style 
of  treatment.  And  all  the  lines,  whether  of  walks  or  other 
edgings,  ought  to  be  extremely  straight  or  regular,  thoroughly 
well  beaten  and  level,  and  the  grass  be  very  fine  and  smooth. 

Beyond  the  numerous  references  to  little  points  bearing  on 
architectural  gardening  which  have  preceded  the  present 
description,  and  others  which  will  follow  in  their  proper  places,  it 
only  remains,  here,  to  submit  such  engravings  as  may  assist  in 
making  what  has  been  said,  or  what  may  yet  have  to  be  enforced, 
somewhat  clearer  to  the  reader.     The  sketch,  fig.  117,  port  uys 


184 


GENERAL  OBJECTS. 


a  wall,  with  a  simple  parapet,  such  as  might  either  be  used  for  a 
terrace  or  for  a  sunk  fence ;  and  fig.  118  (both  being  to  a  scale 


Fig.  117. 

cf  8  feet  to  an  inch)  is  intended  to  show  how  much  the  appear- 
ance and  expression  of  such  a  wall  may  be  improved  by  building 
it  in  a  battering  rather  than  an  erect  form.     In  making  terrace 


Fig.  118. 

walls,  too,  where  they  do  not  run  along  the  principal  front  of  a 
house,  or  are  far  enough  from  it  not  to  come  into  absolute 
connexion  with  it,  there  will  sometimes  occur  a  slope,  of  greater 
or  less  steepness,  at  the  base  of  the  wall,  such  as  scarcely  any 
ingenuity  or  any  labour  would  suffice  to  get  rid  of;  and  where 
it  is  most  difficult  to  reconcile  the  discrepancy  between  the 
raking  ground  line  and  the  level  courses  of  the  wall  or  of  the 
house.  Fig.  119  will  afford  just  a  hint  of  the  way  in  which  I 
have  dealt  with  a  case  of  that  sort  recently,  by  keeping  all  the 
ground  lines,  where  they  are  in  grass,  exactly  parallel  with  the 


ARCHITECTURAL  GARDENING. 


185 


courses  of  the  wall,  and  effecting  the  changes  of  level,  in  the 
ground,  at  the  points  where  patches  of  shrubs  are  introduced. 
These  shrubs  being  mostly  evergreen,  and  in  varied  groups, 


Fig.  119. 

not  only  mask  the  breaks  in  the  ground  line,  but  blend  beauti- 
fully with  the  wall,  and,  aided  by  a  few  intermediate  climbers, 
clothe  it  most  picturesquely. 

The  practice  of  employing  masses  of  evergreens  to  cover 
changes  of  level  in  grounds,  to  break  the  transition  between  a 
terraee  bank  and  a  natural  slope,  to  fill  up  the  corners  of  terraces 
and  relieve  the  hardness  and  bareness  of  their  walls,  and  in  many 
ways  to  reconcile  discrepant  lines  in  the  form  of  ground,  is  one 
which  I  have  largely  and  for  several  years  adopted.  And  I  have 
invariably  found  it  of  the  greatest  possible  service,  while  the 
result  obtained  from  it  is  always  satisfactory.  Indeed,  this 
seems  to  be  the  only  feasible  and  really  thorough  solution  of  a 
problem  which  every  practitioner  who  has  to  direct  the  shaping 
of  ground  about  houses  must  be  constantly  encountering. 

As  an  elaborate  example  of  architectural  gardening,  on  a 
tolerably  extensive  scale,  I  may  now  introduce  fig.  120,  which 
depicts  a  portion  of  the  pleasure  grounds  which  I  arranged,  a 
few  years  ago,  for  John  Naylor,  Esq.,  of  Leighton  Hall,  near 
Welshpool.  The  smallness  of  the  engraving  unfortunately 
renders  the  minor  parts  of  the  plan  very  indistinct,  and  prevents 
me  from  giving  the  full  details  of  the  treatment.  Enough  of 
the  entrance  front  is  shown  to  indicate  that  there  are  two  roads 


183 


GENERAL    OBJECTS. 


of  approach,  and  a  large  gravelled  space  on  the  west  side  of 
the  house;  and  from  this  front,  the  terrace  (l)  and  the  flower 


Fisr.  120. 


garden  (o)  are  screened  by  a  handsome  stone  wall,  which,  like 
the  house,  and.  all  the  other  walls,  is  composed  of  a  nearly  black 
species  of  trap,  with  white  free-stone  copings  and  dressings. 


ARCHITECTURAL   GARDENING.  187 

The  terrace,  (1,)  which  stands  about  three  feet  above  the  lawn, 
and  is  supported  by  a  neat  parapet  wall,  extends  along  the 
northern  and  eastern  sides  of  the  house,  and  in  front  of  an 
ornamental  wall  connecting  the  latter  with  a  Camellia  house, 
(9,)  from  whence  it  passes  eastwards,  and  terminates  against 
a  steep  bank,  the  walk  ranging  round  a  raised  bed  of  ever- 
green shrubs,  (11),  with  a  stone  edging  to  it.  There  are  steps 
and  communications  from  this  terrace,  at  various  points,  with 
other  parts  of  the  pleasure  grounds.  The  kitchen  court  is  at 
2,  and  3  points  out  the  back  approach  to  it. 

A  leading  walk  from  the  terrace,  opposite  the  principal  tower 
of  the  Hall,  conducts  us  over  a  viaduct  (4)  of  several  arches,  to 
other  important  walks  not  included  in  the  plan ;  and  from  the 
viaduct,  there  is  a  view  of  the  winter  garden  to  the  south,  and 
of  a  small  irregular  lake  on  lower  ground  to  the  north.  The 
flower  garden  is  at  5,  on  the  south  side  of  the  house,  and  is 
enclosed  by  an  ornamental  wall,  about  eight  feet  high,  with 
buttresses.  It  is  divided  into  two  parts,  separated  by  a  terrace 
bank  and  a  low  wall  with  vases  upon  it;  the  part  5  being 
intended  for  purely  summer  flowers,  in  beds  of  one  colour,  while 
the  upper  half,  (6,)  which  is  four  feet  higher,  is  designed  for 
mixed  herbaceous  plants.  The  whole  is  diversified  with  speci- 
men plants  and  vases,  and  the  centre  walk  is  terminated  by  a 
summer  house,  through  which  the  walk  passes,  between  high 
banks,  clothed  with  Rhododendrons,  and  beneath  the  back  road 
by  a  small  tunnel,  (8,)  till  it  emerges,  through  a  door  in  the 
wall,  on  to  the  terrace  at  9. 

From  the  southern  arm  of  the  terrace,  an  ascent  is  made,  by 
steps  and  an  inclined  walk,  to  a  raised  mound  10,  on  the  summit 
of  which,  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  above  the  general  level,  is  a 
canopied  seat,  from  which  there  is  a  view  of  the  winter  garden 
and  the  principal  part  of  the  pleasure  grounds.  A  branch  wralk 
from  this  elevated  point  descends  rapidly  into  a  narrow  natural 
valley,  commencing  at  24,  through  which  the  walk  winds,  the 
banks  being  covered  with  rocks  and  roots,  as  receptacles  for 
ferns  and  similar  plants.     At  12  is  a  basin  of  water,  in  which  is 


188  '  GENEKAL   OBJECTS. 

being  erected  a  very  costly  fountain,  composed  chiefly  of  bronze 
figures.  The  walk  to  the  east  and  west  of  this  basin  has,  on 
either  side  of  it,  a  row  of  small  groups  of  statuary,  on  pedestals, 
alternating  with  specimen  evergreens;  and  the  octagonal  figure 
between  12  and  10  is  furnished  and  surrounded  by  beds  and 
specimens  of  the  greatest  possible  variety  of  dwarf  evergreens, 
arranged  as  a  winter  garden,  the  wall  at  the  back  of  the  eastern 
terrace  being  also  covered  with  evergreen  climbers.  At  13,  and 
in  a  corresponding  position  at  the  centre  of  the  winter  garden, 
it  is  proposed  to  put  large  groups  of  bronze  figures,  on  pedestals, 
and  the  squares  which  will  be  noticed  in  the  walks  to  the  east 
and  west  of  the  winter  garden,  contain  vases,  on  pedestals,  in 
their  centres.  The  ground  falls  rapidly  from  13  towards  the 
viaduct  4,  and  continues  to  descend  on  the  northern  side  of 
this  latter.  14  is  a  drying  ground,  and  18  a  yard  for  receiving 
rubbish,  and  for  the  gardener's  use,  there  being  also  a  small 
tool-shed  between  it  and  the  terrace.  The  kitchen  garden, 
garden  yard,  and  sheds  lying  at  a  considerable  distance,  and 
being  on  very  much  higher  ground,  it  is  convenient  to  have  the 
means  of  depositing  rubbish  and  storing  tools  at  this  point. 

Several  projecting  parts  or  bastions,  for  the  purpose  of 
obtaining  more  variety,  are  made  in  the  principal  terrace,  and 
the  effect  is  further  heightened  by  the  introduction  of  vases  into 
these.  At  15  are  two  urn-shaped  vases,  of  Aberdeen  granite, 
or  other  dark  material ;  while  there  are  two  sun-dials,  on  white 
stone  pedestals,  at  16,  and  a  large  white  Warwick  vase  at  17. 

The  walk  between  7  and  8  is,  as  has  been  mentioned,  cut 
through  between  high  banks,  the  natural  level  there  being 
twelve  or  fourteen  feet  above  that  of  the  flower  garden.  Flights 
of  steps  ascend  from  this  walk  to  a  detached  space,  1 9,  which 
was  arranged  for  a  Rosery,  but,  like  some  of  the  other  details, 
is  not  yet  executed.  In  the  centre  of  this  plot  is  a  basin  of 
water,  intended  to  be  canopied  by  a  wire  temple,  for  supporting 
climbing  Roses,  which  would  thus  be  reflected  in  the  water.  At 
20  is  a  rustic  summer  house,  Avith  an  open  porch  from  the 
principal  walk  to  it,  and  this  was  to  be  the  medium  of  exhibit- 


ARCHITECTURAL   GARDENING.  189 

ing  the  freer  growing  and  more  rambling  kinds  of  climbing 
Roses,  which  would  scramble  over  both  the  sides  and  roof  of  the 
summer  house.  Two  span-roofed  glasshouses  (21  and  22)  were 
to  be  placed  at  the  sides  of  the  garden,  for  receiving  the  more 
tender  sorts  of  Roses,  the  one  house,  (22,)  which  is  nearest  the 
back  road,  being  heated,  and  the  other  not.  It  was  proposed 
to  plant  out  the  Roses  in  these  houses,  and  train  climbers  also 
to  the  rafters,  and  use  the  low  external  wall  for  supporting 
the  dwarfer  and  more  delicate  varieties  of  hybrid  China  and 
Damask  Rose.  The  beds  in  the  Rosery  are  arranged  to  receive 
one  family  each,  and  space  is  allotted  for  Standards  and  pole 
Roses ;  the  whole  being  screened  from  the  back  road  and  the 
park  by  a  plantation,  chiefly  filled  with  evergreen  shrubs. 

The  ground  at  23  rises  rather  abruptly  towards  the  east,  and 
becomes  an  appropriate  position  for  accommodating  some  of 
the  finer  members  of  the  Coniferous  tribe,  which,  being  scat- 
tered in  groups  on  this  grassy  bank,  show  themselves  to  advan- 
tage, and  associate  well  with  the  winter  garden.  They  are 
backed,  as  is  the  whole  of  the  pleasure  ground  to  the  east  and 
south,  by  an  old  wood  of  Oaks,  Larches,  and  Spruce  Firs. 
The  small  circles  at  25  enclose  two  specimens  of  the  Cedrus 
deodara,  and  there  are  masses  of  evergreens,  and  a  very  pic- 
turesque old  oak,  in  the  larger  circle. 

Leighton  Hall,  a  new  and  capacious  mansion  in  the  decorated 
Gothic  style,  designed  by  Mr.  W.  H.  Gee,  of  Liverpool,  and 
distinguished  for  its  superb  collection  of  modern  pictures,  is 
situated  in  the  Valley  of  the  Severn,  and  in  the  midst  of  what 
will  ultimately  be  a  park  of  about  1000  acres,  with  a  surround- 
ing estate  of  ten  or  twelve  times  that  extent.  Being  nearly 
opposite  the  seat  of  Earl  Powis,  which  is  on  the  western  side 
of  the  valley,  it  receives  all  the  benefit  of  the  noble  woods  and 
stately  old  castle  which  adorn  that  domain.  Mr.  Naylor  has 
likewise  erected  upon  his  property,  at  a  considerable  outlay,  a 
beautiful  new  church,  which  is  a  conspicuous  object  from  the 
Hall,  and  which  I  have  made  the  vista  point  of  one  of  the 
longest  walks  in  the  garden. 


190  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

The  next  plan  which  I  shall  present  is  of  a  terrace,  and  some 
of  the  contiguous  parts,  (fig.  121,)  in  the  pleasure  grounds  of 
Daylesford  House,  Worcestershire,  formerly  the  residence  of 
Warren  Hastings,  and  now  the  property  of  Harman  Grise- 
wood,  Esq.  The  plan  was  designed  by  me  in  the  autumn  of 
1855,  and  has  since  been  faithfully  carried  out;  the  erection 
of  the  terrace  walls  and  many  extensive  improvements  in  the 
house  having  been  previously  effected  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  Robert  Trollope,  of  Parliament  Street,  London.  The 
house  is  entered,  on  the  east  side,  from  a  platform  at  least  ten 
or  twelve  feet  higher  than  the  level  of  the  flower  garden  ;  and 
this  entrance  platform  constitutes  an  elevated  terrace  by  itself. 
The  house  is  in  the  Italian  style,  and  the  terrace  walls  are  all 
balustraded. 

Two  flights  of  steps  from  the  entrance  platform  lead  down 
to  the  flower  garden,  and  there  is  a  broad  paved  path  along  the 
eastern  end  of  this  lower  terrace,  terminated  by  a  seat.  The 
centre  and  part  of  the  front  of  the  flower  garden  are  sunk  two 
feet  below  the  ends  and  the  side  next  the  house ;  and  the 
balustraded  wall  is  correspondingly  depressed  opposite  this 
middle  portion.  The  basement  story  of  the  house  is  occupied 
by  garden  rooms  on  the  south  front,  and  there  is  a  porch  with 
a  garden  door  in  the  centre  of  this  front.  The  ground  beyond 
the  flower  garden  terrace,  and  along  the  walk  at  the  west 
front,  is  between  two  and  three  feet  below  the  flower  garden, 
and  afterwards  fa!ls  rapidly  both  to  the  south  and  the  west. 
At  the  eastern  end  of  the  terrace,  the  descent  is  still  more  sud- 
den, being  about  nine  or  ten  feet.  Altogether,  from  the 
varied  form  of  the  land,  and  the  different  heights  in  the  ter- 
race wall,  an  opportunity  is  given,  by  the  introduction  of  bold 
masses  of  shrubs  in  the  corners  of  the  terrace,  and  on  the  banks 
outside,  of  producing  some  striking  results  in  the  way  of 
grouping ;  although  at  present,  from  the  newness  of  the  whole, 
the  full  effect  is  not  apparent. 

In  the  middle  of  the  flower  garden,  a  space  is  left  for  an 
ornamental  basin  and  fountain,  (1,)  which  is  not  yet  formed. 


Fig.     121. 


192  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

There  are  circular  flower  beds  at  2,  with  vases,  on  pedestals, 
filled  with  flowers,  in  the  centre  of  them.  At  the  four  corners 
of  the  middle  plot,  are  four  small  upright  vases,  for  flowers,  (3,) 
also  on  pedestals.  And  the  figures  4  represent  large  flattish 
tazza-shaped  vases,  for  flowers,  at  either  end  of  the  broad 
western  walk.  There  is  another  vase  for  flowers,  surrounded 
with  grass,  in  the  recess  of  the  eastern  terrace,  (5,)  opposite 
the  entrance  door.  The  remainder  of  the  figures  of  reference 
denote  specimens  or  clusters  of  shrubs,  as  follows : — 

6.  Half  Standard  Roses. 

7.  Erica  earned. 

8.  Irish  Yews. 

9.  Andromeda  ftoribunda. 

10.  Beds  and  banks  of  Cotoneasitr 

viicrophylla. 

11.  Clusters  of  mixed  Daphne  pon- 

tica  and  Berberis  aquifolium. 

12.  Do.  of  Rhododendrons. 

13.  Beds  of  Hybrid  China  Roses. 

14.  Bed  of  mixed  Heaths. 

15.  Specimen  Rhododendrons. 

16.  Aucuba  japonica. 

17.  Laurustinus. 

In  the  house,  the  billiard-room,  saloon,  and  drawing-room 
occupy  the  south  front,  above  the  garden  rooms ;  while  a  large 
corridor  fitted  up  as  an  ante-room,  the  dining-room,  and  the 
library  are  on  the  west  front,  with  no  other  rooms  beneath 
them.  The  situation  of  the  house  is,  on  the  whole,  a  happy 
one,  and  the  park  is  well  timbered  and  contains  a  small  lake. 
The  views  from  both  the  house  and  grounds  are  varied  and  rich, 
and  the  town  of  Stow  in  the  Wold,  on  a  range  of  hills  about 
five  miles  distant,  with  a  glimpse  of  the  road  winding  up  the 
hill  to  it,  makes  a  really  agreeable  element  in  the  scene. 

Another  illustration,  but  in  a  different  style,  and  of  a  much 
smaller  place,  may  be  drawn  from  Worcestershire,  being  the 
grounds  attached  to  a  newly-formed  Rectory.  The  land  for 
this  was  purchased  by  the  present  rector  in  1854,  and  the  plans 
prepared  by  me  in  the  beginning  of  1855;  a  rectory-house 


18.  Scarlet  Thorn. 

19.  Erica  multi flora. 

20.  Clump   of  mixed  dwarf  Ever- 

greens. 

21.  Do.  of  Double  Furze. 

22.  Cluster  of  Red-flowered  Arbutus. 

23.  Portugal  Laurel. 

24.  Cupressus  torulosus. 

25.  Aucuba  japonica. 

26.  Tamarisk-leaved  Savin. 

27.  Bed  of  Ghent  Azaleas. 

28.  Spira>a  Lindleyana. 

29.  Variegated  Prickly  Holly. 


ARCHITECTURAL    GARDENING. 


193 


being  subsequently  built,  though  the   garden   arrangements 
have  been  somewhat  altered.     The  land  comprises  about  five 


Fisr.  122. 


acres,  and  is  of  an  almost  triangular  form.     It  is  situated  near 

9 


194  GENERAL    OBJECTS. 

the  summit  of  a  gentle  eminence,  sloping  gradually  towards 
the  south-east ;  with  a  comparatively  tame  but  not  unpleasing 
country  in  the  front  of  it,  the  views  being  confined  to  the  south, 
south-east,  and  east.  There  was  no  timber  upon  it  except  that 
which  existed  in  the  hedge-rows.  It  is  very  conveniently  placed 
for  the  purposes  of  a  rectory,  lying  close  up  to  the  churchyard ; 
and  from  the  entrance  court  and  other  parts  of  the  grounds,  the 
tower  of  the  church  mingles  conspicuously  in  the  general  com- 
position of  the  landscape.  There  is  a  public  footpath  traversing 
the  land,  making  a  nearer  route  to  the  church  from  some  points 
in  the  parish.  But  by  sinking  this  path  a  little,  and  throwing 
up  a  bank  against  it,  opposite  the  pleasure-grounds,  and  cover- 
ing the  bank  with  evergreen  shrubs,  it  will  soon  cease  to 
intrude  itself  on  the  more  private  grounds. 

From  fig.  122,  a  general  idea  of  the  whole  place  will  be 
obtained,  and  the  relative  position  of  the  church  will  be  under- 
stood. This  engraving  will  also. show  the  mode  of  planting 
the  field,  so  as  to  assist  in  giving  a  more  finished  foreground 
to  the  country  outside  the  place.  To  the  north-east  of  the 
pleasure-grounds  and  the  public  path,  it  will  be  further  seen 
that  there  is  a  small  detached  field,  at  the  northern  corner  of 
the  property ;  and  this  field  has  some  fine  old  beech  trees  in  the 
hedges  on  either  side  of  it.  From  its  position,  near  the  village 
and  the  rectory,  and  the  shade  and  shelter  afforded  by  the 
trees  just  mentioned,  it  is  proposed  to  be  used  by  the  rector 
on  the  occasion  of  any  village  festival,  when  the  grounds  of 
the  rectory  would  likewise  be  thrown  open  to  the  parishioners. 

In  order  that  the  details  of  the  plan  may  be  better  compre- 
hended, the  part  which  embraces  the  grounds  (fig.  123)  is 
inserted  on  a  larger  scale,  and  with  great  minuteness  of  refer- 
ence. The  house  is  in  the  style  of  the  fourteenth  century, 
with  open-timbered  walls,  and  tiled  roofs,  of  which  some  fine 
examples  exist  in  the  district.  Of  its  interior  plan,  A  is  the 
dining-room,  B  the  drawing-room,  and  C  the  library,  with  a 
passage  leading  to  a  garden  door  between  the  two  latter.  But 
these  are  capable  of  being  united,  and  including  the  j>assage,  by 


ARCHITECTUKAL  GARDENING.  195 

opening  folding-doors,  at  pleasure.  D  is  a  private  room  or 
study,  with  access  to  the  library  from  an  exterior  lobby.  E  is 
a  corridor,  F  the  hall,  and  G  an  entrance  porch.  H  is  a  store- 
room, I  the  butler's  sleeping  room,  J  the  butler's  pantry,  K  the 
housekeeper's  room,  L  the  kitchen,  M  the  servants'  hall,  N  the 
larder,  O  the  scullery,  P  the  dairy,  Q  a  place  for  cleaning 
knives  and  boots,  and  R  a  coal-shed.  There  is  a  small  court 
at  2,  and  another  adjoining  it,  and  extending  round  to  the 
back  or  north-west  side  of  the  house ;  the  back  entrance  to 
the  house  being  opposite  the  figure  2.  The  whole  of  the 
details  and  those  of  the  adjuncts,  are  worked  out  with  great 
care  and  taste  by  the  architect. 

It  will  be  at  once  apparent  that  the  entrance  to  the  place  is 
by  an  oblong  court,  (l,)  nearly  surrounded  with  walls ;  the  space 
being  diversified  by  the  introduction  of  grass  margins,  studded 
irregularly  with  shrubs,  by  a  grass  plot  in  the  centre  partially 
clothed  with  shrubs,  and  by  climbers  trained  to  the  walls.  The 
stables  and  their  accompaniments  are  at  3,  and  the  stable-yard 
at  4,  with  a  separate  access  from  the  outside  road.  There  is  a 
back  path  to  the  house  at  15  ;  and  because  some  farm-buildings 
occur  opposite  the  principal  entrance,  the  view  of  these  is  broken 
by  a  cluster  of  hollies  at  16.  The  wall  (5)  separating  the 
entrance  court  from  the  kitchen-garden,  extends  round  the 
south-west  and  all  along  the  north-west  side  of  the  latter,  (12,) 
and  also  of  the  fruit-garden,  (13,)  and  divides  both  these  from 
the  churchyard.  More  than  a  hundred  yards  in  length  of  a 
fruit  wall  with  a  south-east  aspect  are  thus  secured ;  and  a  pro- 
longation of  the  same  wall  severs  off  the  reserve  and  frame 
ground,  (14,)  which  is  conveniently  annexed  to  the  stable-yard. 
The  walls  round  the  entrance  court,  one  of  which  is  useable  on 
both  sides,  present,  by  their  varied  aspects,  the  means  of  growing 
a  great  number  of  interesting  climbing  plants,  and  this  facility 
is  increased  by  the  addition  of  a  covered  way,  (6,)  terminating 
the  terrace  garden,  and  having  a  series  of  trellised  arches,  for 
climbers,  on  the  north-east  side.  Two  covered  seats  at  7  make 
a  proper  finish  to  the  long  walk  beneath  the  terrace,  and  the 


Fig.  123 


198 


GENERAL  OBJECTS. 


one  at  the  north-east  end  has  a  door  at  the  back,  communicat- 
ing with  the  public  path. 

A  handsome  walk,  18  ft.  wide,   (8,)  along  the  front  of  the 
house,  furnishes  an  open  and  yet  sheltered  promenade,  and  is 
returned  by  the  end  of  the  house,  till  it  narrows  into  a  path 
to  the  church  through  the  fruit-garden.     The  space  between 
the  broad  walk  and  the  terrace  bank,  (9,)  is  mostly  devoted  to 
a  flower-garden  (10,)  which  is  cut  into  two  by  a  walk  from  the 
garden  door  to  the  lower  and  longer  path.     Among  the  flower 
beds,  are  specimens  (18)  of  Andromeda  floribunda.     The  bor- 
der on  the  south-east  side  of  the  wall,  between  the  entrance 
court  and  the  pleasure  grounds,  is  for  spring  flowers  and  bulbs, 
as  well  as  climbing  plants.    A  few  old  trees  (17)  occur  towards 
the  southern  end  of  the  terrace,  and  on  the  lawn  at  the  north 
side  of  the  house.    The  rest  of  the  figures  may  be  explained 
as  follows : — 


19.  Rose  beds. 

20.  Bed  of  Ghent  Azaleas. 

21.  „       Rhododendron  hirsutum. 

22.  „  ferrugineum. 

23.  „       mixed  Heaths. 

24.  „       Rhododendrons  chiefly. 

25.  „       Berber  is  aquifolium,  with 

a  few  B.  dulcis. 

26.  „       Arbutus. 

27.  Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

28.  Common  Laurustinus. 

29.  Black-leaved  do. 

30.  Irish  Yew. 

31.  Half  Standard  Rose. 

32.  Aralia  japonica. 

33.  Aucuba  japonica. 

34.  Hodgins's  Holly. 

35.  Scarlet  Thorn. 

36.  Cupressus  macrocarpa. 

37.  Cluster  of  3  Common  Savin. 

38.  Ilex  marginata. 

39.  Spircea  Lindleyana. 

40.  Daphne  pontica. 

41.  Berberis  dulcis. 

42.  Cluster    of    3    Tamarisk-leaved 

Savin. 


43.  Standard  Rose. 

44.  Double  Eurze. 

45.  Philadelphus  grandiflorus. 

46.  Double  Pink  Thorn. 

47.  Golden-blotched  Holly. 

48.  Cluster  of  3  Gaultheria  shallon. 

49.  „  Daphne  pontica. 

50.  Araucaria  imbricata. 

51.  Cydonia  japonica. 

52.  Cedrus  deodar  a. 

53.  Silver-blotched  Holly. 

54.  Three  Cotoneaster  microphylla. 

55.  Pernettya  mucronata. 

56.  Three  Daphne  cneorum. 

57.  Cedrus  deodara  (in  field). 

58.  Masses  of  Double  Furze  (do  ) 

59.  Common  Cypress. 

60.  Chinese  Juniper. 

61.  Red  Cedar. 

62.  Sweet  Bay. 

63.  Yellow-berried  Holly. 

64.  Garrya  elliptica. 

65.  Buxus  balearicus. 

66.  Tree  Ivy. 

67.  Common  Savin. 

68.  Cotoneaster  microphylla. 


ARCHITECTURAL  GARDENING. 


199 


69.  Variegated  Prickly  Holly. 

70.  Siberian  Arbor  Vitie. 

11.  Magnolia  grandiflora  (Exmouth 
variety,  to  be  partially  trained 
to  the  wall). 


12.  Mahonia  fascicularis    (partially 

trained  to  wall). 
73.  Common  Holly. 


To  render  the  account  of  this  place  more  complete,  several 
sections,  (l  24  to  128,)  are  now  added,  by  which  the  various  levels 


SECTION    A 


- '  -    '"  -  '-':  ■■■■■■  ./..':  -y-/,.:'J .  '■/. 


Yvz.  124. 


will  be  distinctly  seen,  and  the  shaping  of  the  ground  become 
more  intelligible.     The  scales  to  these  sections  are  attached  to 


■lU 

Id 

U 
5 

z 
u 

Ik 

SECTION    B 

u 
BE 

%%aJff»'>m??7'. 

^ 

:(            f 

Fig,   125. 

the  last  of  them,  fig.  128,  and  the  vertical  scale  has  been  made 
twice  as  large  as  the  horizontal  one,  for  additional  clearness.     It 


SECTION     C 


p77^5B?^;^r??7j!55?!K^Km3^s«Ea«z^e^25!^s;^;s^^^8J!! 


Fig.    126. 


will  be  apparent  from  the  sections  that  the  kitchen-garden  is 


200 


GENERAL  OBJECTS. 


about  eighteen  inches  higher  than  the  entrance  court, — a  cir- 
cumstance that  was  purely  unavoidable,  and  is  of  no  practical 
moment.     The  bank  by  which  the  public  path  is  shut  off  from 


the  pleasure-grounds,  and  the  way  in  which  that  path  is  sunk 
at  the  same  point,  will  further  be  made  manifest.     It  will  be 


£77?2>,i"^  ' 


ll  .       \  *,-':.■■   • \"-    ■     '      •'"  ■'"'  "        : — 


10     5     O 

t"" I 


SCALE    OF     FEET 
HORIZONTAL       SCALE 

(O  20  30  40  so 

VERTICAL       SCALE 

20        30        40         5,0  


Fig.  128. 

evident,  too,  that  the  pleasure-grounds  are  divided  from  the  field 
by  a  wire  fence,  which,  being  light,  and  several  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  house,  will  be  virtually  overlooked  from  the  windows. 
The  terrace-garden  (fig.  129)  which  I  have  now  to  describe, 
was  designed  for  a  romantic  situation  in  Miller's  Dale,  Derby- 
shire, and  is  at  Cressbrook,  the  residence  of  Henry  McConnel, 
Esq.  The  house  (1)  stands  almost  on  the  edge  of  a  steep 
declivity,  clothed  with  old  forest  trees,  the  tops  of  which  rise  up 


Fig.   129. 


202  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

and  mingle  with  the  ornamental  parapet  wall.  This  wall  is 
built  partly  on  the  sloping  bank,  and  the  plateau  between  it  and 
the  house  is  valued  as  being  the  only  level  piece  of  ground  any- 
where in  the  neighbourhood.  A  pleasant  stream  winds  along 
the  valley  at  the  base  of  the  bank,  and  a  bare  grassy  hill  rises 
abruptly  from  it  on  the  other  side.  The  object  of  the  design 
was  to  produce  such  a  combination  of  flowers  and  shrubs  as 
would  suffice  to  clothe  and  decorate  the  platform,  without 
materially  interfering  with  its  size,  or  marring  the  picturesque- 
ness  of  the  outlying  portions  of  the  scene ;  while  at  the  same 
time,  it  was  sought  to  give  such  an  amount  of  regularity  and 
symmetry  to  the  arrangement  of  the  beds,  as  the  artificial 
character  of  the  terrace,  and  the  nature  of  its  circumscribing 
wall  appeared  to  demand. 

Each  of  the  principal  windows  of  the  entertaining  rooms  of 
the  house  (which  is  in  the  Tudor  style)  has  a  flower-bed  in  front 
of  it ;  the  rooms  lying  on  the  east,  south,  and  west  sides. 
The  offices  (2)  are  to  the  west  of  the  house,  and  they  are 
partially  concealed,  while  their  effect  in  regard  to  grouping  is 
improved,  by  a  handsome  conservatory,  (3,)  of  which  the  plan 
contains  a  suggestion  for  the  interior  arrangement.  It  was  pro- 
posed to  divide  the  space  into  beds,  edged  with  a  neat  kerb- 
stone, and  broken  by  vases  and  specimen  plants.  And  the 
oratino-  along  the  front,  on  the  outside,  is  for  admitting  air, 
which  would  pass  over  the  heating  pipes.  At  4  and  5  are  a 
small  hot-house  and  propagating  house,  to  assist  in  supplying 
the  conservatory  and  flower-garden.  The  borders  (6)  are  for 
select  and  rare  flowers,  and  for  receiving  climbing  plants,  which 
would  be  trained  against  the  higher  walls  behind  them,  that  at 
8  being  about  six  feet  high.  The  figures  7  indicate  the  course 
of  a  very  superior  perforated  parapet  wall,  in  the  style  of  the 
house,  and  a  stone  seat,  stopping  the  terrace  walk,  and  yielding 
a  view  of  the  larger  part  of  the  garden,  conservatory  and  house, 
is  placed  at  9. 

An  entrance-court,  with  retaining  walls  about  four  feet  high 
around  it,  and  having  a  steep  bank  clothed  with  patches  of 


ARCHITECTURAL  GARDENING. 


203 


heather  and  American  plants  round  the  outer  sides,  is  partially 
shown  at  10,  and  the  approaches  are  from  both  the  north-east 
and  the  west.  This  court,  and  the  chief  rooms  of  the  house, 
are  from  eight  to  ten  feet  above  the  level  of  the  terrace-garden ; 
but  there  is  a  billiard-room  and  garden-door  on  the  same  level 
as  the  terrace. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  house,  where,  from  the  contour  of  the 
shelving  bank  below,  the  terrace  is  contracted,  and  takes  the 
shape  of  a  large  recess,  is  a  detached  flower-garden  or  parterre, 
bounded  by  walks,  with  a  few  specimen  plants  interspersed 
among  the  flower-beds.  The  figures  of  reference  will  suf- 
ficiently  elucidate  the  remaining  portions  of  the  plan. 


11.  Large  vases,  or  sculptured  figures, 

on  pedestals. 

12.  Standard  Roses. 

13.  Irish  Yews,  4  ft.  high. 

14.  Fuchsias. 

1 5.  Andromeda  floribunda. 

16.  Common  Laurustinus. 

17.  ,,         Arbutus. 

18.  Irish  Yews,  5  ft.  high. 

19.  Araucaria  imbricate. 

20.  Hydrangea  hortensis. 

21.  Cedrus  deodar  a. 

22.  Erica  multiflora. 

23.  Rhododendron  lursutum. 

24.  Gaultheria  shallon. 

25.  Tamarisk-leaved  Savin. 

26.  Clusters  of  Common  Savin. 

27.  Erica  carnea. 

28    Gaultheria  procumbens. 


29.  Daphne  cneorum. 

30.  Epigoza  repens. 
Reds  of  Ghent  Azaleas. 

„         Hybrid  China  Roses. 

„  good  hybrid  Rhododen- 
drons. 

,,         Daphne  pontica. 

, ,         A ucuba  japon  ia i. 

„         Double  Furze. 

„         Cream-coloured  Broom. 

,,  Berbtris  oquifolium,  with 
a  few  of  the  dwarfer 
kinds  of  Berberry 
mixed. 

„         Helianthemums. 
Cluster  of  Hodgins's  Holly. 
Beds    of    mixed    evergreen    and 

deciduous  shrubs. 


31. 
32. 
33. 

34. 

35. 
36. 

37. 

38. 


Cressbrook  is  not,  perhaps,  in  the  wildest  part  of  Miller's 
Dale,  and,  from  the  narrowness  of  the  valley,  and  the  loftiness 
of  the  opposite  hill,  the  view  from  it  is  limited.  But  its  position 
is  a  really  interesting  one ;  and  as  the  Dale  is  little  known,  in 
consequence  of  its  only  being  accessible  by  a  footpath,  it  may 
be  well  to  hint  that  the  lovers  of  the  picturesque  will  find  in  it 
some  very  unique  scenes;  the  rocks,  especially,  assuming  a 
massiveness  and  a  character  quite  peculiar  to  this  locality. 


20i  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

Although  the  place  of  which  a  plan  (fig.  130)  is  added  does 
not  strictly  contain  any  architectural  ornaments,  beyond  a  pro- 
posed greenhouse,  it  is  arranged  so  entirely  according  to  the 
system  of  gardening  which  may4>e  denominated  architectural, 
that  it  will  supply  a  fresh  and  distinct  illustration  of  the 
subject.  It  belongs  to  P.  S.  Humberston,  Esq.,  and  is  at 
Mollington,  near  Chester.  My  plan  for  re-arranging  it  was 
made  in  the  beginning  of  1856.  The  house,  which  is  an 
English  Gothic  structure,  will  easily  be  distinguished  on  the 
engraving;  and  the  carriage  sweep  and  approach  are  repre- 
sented as  they  will  probably  be  made  at  some  future  period  ; 
the  house  standing  about  forty  or  fifty  yards  from  a  high  road. 
The  garden  and  the  adjoining  fields  are  tolerably  level,  except 
that,  beyond  the  fence  of  the  pleasure-grounds,  the  land  slopes 
decidedly  to  the  west.  The  landscape  to  the  south  includes  a 
rather  picturesque  view  of  Chester,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
distant,  and  the  south- western  and  western  views  take  in  the 
whole  range  of  the  Flintshire  and  Denbighshire  hills.  From 
the  scale  of  the  plan,  and  the  size  of  the  page,  some  portions 
of  the  pleasure-grounds,  the  stables  and  stable  yard,  the  farm- 
buildings,  and  the  greater  part  of  the  kitchen-garden,  are  neces- 
sarily excluded;  but  these  do  not  affect  the  general  object  of 
the  illustration. 

In  the  plan,  the  house-yard  is  at  1,  and  a  smaller  yard  for 
coals  and  other  conveniences  at  2.  The  stables  are  at  3,  with 
an  archway  through  them  from  the  carriage-drive  to  the  stable- 
yard,  4.  At  5,  is  a  separate  yard  for  farming  purposes,  poultry, 
pig-styes,  <fcc,  as  Mr.  Humberston  farms  his  own  land.  A  fruit- 
garden,  which  also  serves  as  a  supplementary  kitchen  or  herb- 
garden,  is  placed  at  6,  the  larger  kitchen-garden  being  at  10. 
An  ornamental  greenhouse,  which  would  happily  finish  one  of 
the  leading  walks,  is  intended  to  be  placed  at  7 ;  and  there 
would  be  sheds  (8)  at  the  back  of  it,  and  a  small  garden-yard 
(9)  for  the  gardener's  use. 

That  which  imparts  most  character  and  distinctiveness  to  the 
pleasure-grounds  is  the  arrangement  of  the  walks  and  shrubs. 


SCALE      OF     FEET 

10  5   Q       to      20     30      40      SO      60      70     80 

!■"■'■ i-   i      i      i — ■ — ■ — i 


Flsr.  130 


208  GENERAL  OBJECTS. 

On  the  southern  side  of  the  house,  the  lawn  is  furnished  with 
beds  of  dwarf  evergreens,  (14,)  such  as  Erica  camea,  Bhodo- 
dendrons  ferrugineum  and  hirsutum,  Gaultheria  shatton,&c, 
and  there  are  specimens  of  similar  plants ;   the  whole  being 
Hanked  and  framed  by  plantations  of  evergreens,  of  which  Rho- 
dodendrons form  a  principal  ingredient.     On  the  western  side, 
the  site  of  an  old  marl-pit  (ll)  has  been  converted  into  a  sunk 
flower-garden,  which,  being  four  feet  below  the  lawn,  is  very 
much  sheltered  from  the  west  winds.     The  flower-beds  are 
separated  by  gravel  walks,  with  box  edgings.     On  the  grass 
bank  around  this  sunk  garden,  patches  of  Cotoneaster  are  occa- 
sionally planted,  to  mitigate  its  stiffness,  and  unite  it  better 
with  the  shrubs  behind.     The  beds  (13)  in  the  centre  of  the 
vista  (12)  are  filled  with  Berberis  aquifolhim,  and  have  a  single 
plant  of  Andromeda '  floribunda  in  the  semicircular  projection  at 
each  end.     The  sides  of  this  vista,  and  of  the  walk  (1 2)  towards 
the  greenhouse,  as  well  as  of  the  entire  lawn  on  the  western 
side  of  the  house,  are  planted,  as  shown  on  the  plan  ;  the  front 
row  or  edging  on  each  side  being  Berberis  aquifolium,  with  a  line 
behind  this,  about  three  feet  from  the  front,  of  alternate  golden- 
blotched  Hollies  and  Aucubas,  at  intervals  of  about  ten  feet,  the 
rest  of  the  borders  being  filled  up  with  Rhododendrons.   When 
the  latter  get  high  enough  to  afford  some  amount  of  shelter, 
(the  north-west  winds  being  rather  severely  felt  here,)  it  is  pro- 
posed to  insert  half-standard  Roses,  between  the  Hollies  and 
Aucubas,  and  in  the  same  line,  to  secure  a  little  extra  summer 
inflorescence.     The  entire  pleasure-grounds  are  bounded  by  a 
light  iron  hurdle-fence  ;  and  the  larger  masses  of  plantation  are 
filled  with  the  usual  admixture  of  shrubs  and  trees. 

The  last  design  I  shall  give  in  relation  to  this  branch  of 
inquiry  is  one  made  in  1853,  for  Messrs.  R.  and  T.  G.  Frost,  of 
Queen's  Park,  Chester.  These  gentlemen  being  brothers,  and 
having  only  rather  more  than  an  acre  of  land  between  them, 
wisely  determined  to  have  their  gardens  laid  out  in  unison ;  so 
that,  although  they  are  actually  separated  by  a  slight  wire 
fence,  and  neither  of  them  need  be  intruded  upon  by  the  other, 


ARCHITECTURAL  GARDENING. 


207 


and  none  of  the  windows  of  the  living  rooms  of  either  house 
look  into  those  of  their  neighbour,  yet  the  whole  appears  con- 
tinuous, the  lawns  are  connected,  and  the  groups  and  single 
plants  are  so  disposed  that  each  occupant  gets  the  benefit  of 


SECTION    ON    LINE. 
A    TO     B. 


Fig.   131. 

what  the  other  lias  done.  Latterly,  (1858,)  Mr.  T.  G.  Frost, 
who  owns  the  easternmost  plot,  has  also  purchased  an  additional 
half  acre  of  land  to  the  east  of  his  present  garden  ;  and  this,  as 
it  nearly  terminates  the  available  land  for  building  m  that 
direction,  will  secure  him  against  what  neighbours  may  do  in 


208  GENERAL   OBJECTS. 

the  way  of  building,  and  give  him  some  additional  pleasure- 
grounds,  and  a  sufficient  space  for  a  kitchen- garden  in  a  part 
where  it  will  not  be  seen  from  his  house,  and  also  supply  him 
and  his  brother  with  land  for  erecting  stables.  Mr.  Frost, 
senior,  the  father  of  these  gentlemen,  has  likewise  bought  land 
for  a  house  to  the  westward  of  the  plots  shown  on  the  plan  ; 
and  as  he  purposes  arranging  his  ground  so  as  to  unite  with 
what  has  already  been  done,  the  entire  space,  which  will  only 
slightly  exceed  two  acres  in  extent,  will  probably  present  a 
remarkable  (and  certainly  gratifying)  example  of  what  can  be 
done  in  this  way  by  the  combined  efforts  of  several  members 
of  a  family. 

In  the  gardens  now  under  notice,  the  distinguishing  points 
are  their  proximity  to  the  river  Dee,  which  flows  immediately 
below  them,  on  the  north  side,  and  the  existence  of  an  abrupt 
rocky  face,  of  red  sandstone,  which  is  denoted  by  the  dotted 
line  (5)  in  the  westernmost  garden,  and  which  has  been  worked 
out  into  a  quarry,  occupying  the  chief  part  of  the  northern 
side  of  the  easternmost  house.  The  site  of  this  quarry  has 
supplied  the  foundation  of  a  terrace-garden,  which,  when  the 
shrubs,  ferns,  and  climbing  plants  about  the  walls  and  rocky 
banks  have  had  a  longer  period  for  developing  themselves,  will 
doubless  become  picturesque,  and,  as  an  adjunct  to  a  suburban 
villa,  really  extraordinary. 

Casting  the  eye  generally  over  the  plan,  the  difference  of 
shading  will  show  at  once  where  grass  banks  are  employed,  and 
where  Avails  are  used.  In  two  of  the  latter  instances,  rough 
walls  have  been  thrown  out  in  the  form  of  bastions,  (1,)  from 
which  separate  views  of  the  garden  below  and  of  the  river  are 
gained.  The  recesses  (2)  are,  like  the  bastions,  intended  for 
seats,  and  the  space  (3)  below  one  of  the  bastions  was  to  be 
roofed  over,  and  thatched  with  heather,  as  a  summer-house. 
The  border  (4)  is  filled  with  choice  Roses,  and  the  wall  along 
the  northern  boundary  supplies  an  excellent  means  of  growing 
the  better  sorts  of  climbers.  On  the  face  of  the  rocks  round 
the  sunk  garden,  and  those  on  the  line  5,  places  for  ferns, 


ARCHITECTURAL   GARDENING,  209 

trailing  plants,  dwarf  evergreens,  and  alpine  plants,  are  abun- 
dantly provided  ;  and  the  collection  of  these  will  gradually 
stamp  a  most  interesting  and  delightful  character  upon  the 
place.  The  section  below  the  engraving,  which  is  to  the  same 
scale  as  the  plan,*  shows  the  form  of  the  ground  on  the  line 
a  to  b  ;  and  reveals  that  the  point  a  is  about  twenty  feet  below 
the  base  of  the  house.  All  the  lower  part  of  this  garden  is 
occupied  with  clumps  of  Rhododendrons,  Azaleas,  and  other 
dwarf  American  plants,  and  small  evergreen  shrubs,  and  the 
circles  in  the  walks  are  filled  exclusively  with  Rhododendrons. 

*  In  this  section,  contrary  to  the  usual  practice-,  the  vertical  and  horizontal 
scales  are  alike. 


210  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 


CHAPTER  in. 


PARTICULAR  OBJECTS. 

Another  step  downwards  towards  what  is  practical  has  now 
to  be  made.  Several  peculiar  and  more  definite  objects,  which 
could  not  with  propriety  be  called  general,  because  they  apply 
to  special  cases  and  less  common  circumstances,  have  here  to 
be  discussed.  And  in  thus  travelling  towards  minuter  matters, 
I  cannot  do  better  than  begin  with  noticing  the  influence  of 
little  things  on  all  questions  of  taste. 

1.  As  most  of  the  comforts,  and  all  the  elegancies  and 
refinements  of  life,  consist  in  attention  to  numerous  small 
matters  which  are  in  themselves  insignificant,  but  which, 
together,  compose  a  beautiful  and  agreeable  whole;  so  the 
expression  and  character  of  a  garden  will  be  cultivated  and 
tasteful,  or  otherwise,  according  as  its  minor  features  are  well 
arranged  and  well  executed.  It  is  surprising  how  much  a  few 
trifling  objects  or  circumstances  may  do  in  the  way  of  impart- 
ing tone  to  a  place.  There  is  comparatively  little  difference 
between  the  mode  in  which  a  first-rate  artist  and  an  inferior 
onewould  work  up  a  picture  consisting  of  the  same  elements  ; 
but  in  that  little  what  a  world  of  meaning  and  expression 
might  be  conveyed  !  In  laying  out  a  garden,  too,  where  much 
the  same  general  features  have  to  be  dealt  with,  how  much 
alike,  yet  how  very  distinct,  would  be  the  products  of  an 
untutored  and  unskilful  operator,  and  the  creations  of  the 
studied,  and  the  practised,  and  the  delicately  perceptive  lover 
of  art. 

A  lame  or  imperfect  curve  ;  an  artificial  or  abrupt  connexion 
of  lines  in  reference  to  raised  ground ;  deep  and  clumsy  edgings 


LITTLE   THINGS.  211 

to  walks;  the  arrangement  of  plants  in  rows  in  irregular 
gardening,  or  the  occurrence  of  three  conspicuous  specimens 
nearly  in  a  row  upon  a  lawn,  where  a  decided  line  is  not  sought ; 
plants  that  should  be  in  a  row,  at  all  out  of  the  line ;  specimens 
not  placed  exactly  in  the  middle  of  a  circle,  or  planted  with  an 
inclination  to  one  side  where  they  ought  to  be  upright ;  wavy 
lines  in  near  and  parallel  association  with  such  as  are  straight ; 
unmeaning  and  sudden  inequalities  of  surface  in  a  lawn ; — - 
these  are  things  which  are  of  very  slight  moment,  regarded 
individually,  but  of  great  and  weighty  influence  upon  the 
general  character  of  a  garden. 

Where  a  pleasing  and  refined  expression  is  aimed  at,  then, 
there  must  be  no  fancied  superiority  to  little  things,  no  neglect 
of  the  elegancies  of  finish,  no  inattention  to  the  most  delicate 
propriety.  And  the  less  perfect  and  effective  a  garden  is,  the 
more  will  it  be  necessary  to  consider  and  polish  the  most  minute 
of  its  parts :  for,  while  striking  and  extraordinary  things  may 
pass  off  a  few  deficiencies  without  exciting  observation,  such  as 
are  of  an  inferior  and  more  common-place  stamp  will  need  all 
the  aid  they  can  derive  from  minor  details  to  preserve  them 
from  the  lowest  mediocrity. 

2.  Mounds  and  banks  are  features  wath  which  a  great  deal 
may  be  accomplished  in  a  garden,  if  they  be  properly  treated. 
As  frequently  met  with,  they  are  the  greatest  possible  eye-sores, 
altogether  destitute  of  beauty,  and  having  no  visible  relation  to 
the  general  surface.  They  are  commonly  either  long  straight 
ridges  or  banks,  such  as  a  hedger  would  throw  up,  only  with 
the  sides  softened  away ;  or  are  mere  lumps  of  earth,  pretty 
nearly  resembling  compost  or  manure  heaps. 

The  great  point  to  be  attempted  in  mounds  is  some  degree  of 
naturalness,  and  connexion  with  the  other  parts  of  the  ground. 
They  should  not  at  once  show  that  they  have  been  put  in  their 
place  by  art,  and  solely  for  some  purpose  of  convenience.  But 
this  they  always  will  do  when  they  rise  suddenly  from  the 
ordinary  level,  and  do  not  at  all  appear  to  belong  to  the  rest  o: 
the  ground.     In  nature,  where  swells  and  undulations  of  mere. 


212  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

earth  occur,  without  any  rocky  constituents,  the  greatest  pos- 
sible softness  and  extenuation  are  perceptible  in  the  lower  lines, 
which  blend  with  the  surrounding  land  in  the  most  gradual 
manner.  And  even  with  rocky  hills,  the  contour  lines  are 
mostly  gentle,  except  in  a  few  rugged  parts,  and  the  base,  by  its 
natural  formation,  or  by  the  constant  accumulation  of  soil  and 
fragments  washed  from  above,  is  usually  carried  out  with  a 
gracefully  prolonged  sweep,  till  it  blends  with  the  hollows  or 
plains. 

To  realise  much  of  natural  freedom,  and  still  more  of  beauty, 
a  raised  bank  or  mound,  (always  excepting  a  terrace  bank,  of 
which  I  do  not  at  all  treat  in  this  place,)  should  be  varied  in  its 
ground  outline,  and  have  more  or  less  undulation  on  its  surface. 
A  bank  that  is  backed  by  a  wall  need  be  no  exception,  unless  it 
is  to  be  covered  with  grass,  when  it  should  be  managed  as  a 
terrace.  Hard  and  straight  lines  never  look  well  in  contact 
with  flowing  ones ;  but  if  the  bank  is  to  be  planted,  the  wall 
will  be  hidden. 

For  the  outlines  of  a  mound  or  bank  intended  as  the  ground- 
work  of  a  plantation,  the  directions  given  a  few  pages  back,  for 
shaping  masses  of  plantation  generally,  will  apply  just  as 
forcibly  here.  They  should  be  bold  in  some  parts,  always  free ; 
adapt  themselves  to  the  form  of  walks,  or  the  intended  shape  of 
a  lawn,  and  to  the  objects  for  which  they  are  made,  becoming 
broader  where  large  and  ugly  things  have  to  be  concealed,  and 
narrower  where  they  are  less  urgently  wanted. 

In  shaping  the  outlines  of  any  raised  masses  of  earth,  a 
correct  and  practised  eye  will  be  the  safest  guide.  Nevertheless, 
it  may  be  remarked  that  all  the  more  prominent  and  higher 
points  should  also  be  the  fullest,  and  the  roundest,  and  the 
steepest,  while  the  retiring  parts  can  be  scooped  out  and  sloped 
back  into  a  kind  of  hollow  basin.  This  is  the  shape  almost 
universally  found  on  the  face  of  natural  hills,  where  fulness  and 
precipitancy  are  the  common  attendants  of  the  more  forward 
projections,  but  are  seldom  or  never  seen  in  the  recesses.  The 
reverse  of  all  this,  in  gardening,  is  among  the  worst  features 


MOUNDS   AXD   BAXKS. 


213 


that  can  be  introduced.     Concavity  should  be  rigidly  adhered 
to  in  all  the  receding  portions  of  mounds. 

That  this  description  may  be  all  the  more  forcible  and  useful, 
I  introduce  here  a  sketch,  (fig.  132,)  giving  the  ground  outline 


Fig.  132. 


of  a  mound,  with  lines  drawn  across  it  to  show  the  points  at 
which  the  following  sections  are  taken  ;  the  scale,  both  of  the 
ground  plan  and  the  sections,  (vertical  as  well  as  horizontal,) 
being  thirty  feet  to  an  inch.  By  due  attention  to  the  letters 
on  the  outline  sketch  and  on  the  sections,  no  difficulty  can  be 
experienced  in  connecting  the  two,  and  apprehending  the 
peculiarities  of  line  in  the  shaping. 

Undulation  of  surface  is  as  important  in  most  mounds  as 
freedom  of  outline,  only  this  should  be  proportioned  to  the 
scale  on  which  they  are  formed.  Such  mounds  as  can  be  at 
all  fitly  introduced  into  gardens,  will,  from  their  limited  extent, 
admit  of  only  very  trilling  undulations,  or  they  will  thereby 
become  all  the  more  artificial  instead  of  natural,  and  be  simply 
absurd.  For  a  varied  and  irregular  ground  outline,  however, 
consistency  demands  some  little  variation  and  play  in  the  sur- 


214 


PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 


face  line  ;  and  a  bank  that  is  slightly  undulated  will  look  much 
less  formal  and  unnatural. 

In  conformity  with  the  shaping  of  the  ground  line  or  face  of 


e: 


'  J/W' 


Fig.   133. 

a  bank,  its  retiring  or  narrowest  parts  should  be  the  lowest, 
while  the  fullest  parts  are  also  the  highest.  And  if,  as  is  most 
proper  and  beautiful,  a  straight  line  drawn  through  the  face  of 
the  bank,  parallel  with  the  baok,  or  taking  its  general  direction, 
would  leave  no  two  of  the  different  swells  or  bays  at  exactly  the 
same  distance  from  it ;  so  a  similar  horizontal  line  should  show 
the  like  irregularity.  Even  two  or  three  inches  of  difference 
in  all  the  various  hollows  or  elevations  of  surface  will  have  a 
powerful  effect  in  carrying  off  every  kind  of  dulness,  and 
imparting  a  graceful  freedom.  Should  a  bank  be  tolerably 
broad,  there  may  be  partial  undulations  across  as  well  as  along 
its  surface  in  the  wider  parts.  Then,  the  front  swells  should  be 
made  roundish,  and  fall  away  to  hollows  connected  with  the 
depressions  in  the  narrower  parts,  rising  again  to  a  more 
flattened  elevation  towards  the  back.  Or,  for  variety,  the  back 
part  may  be  kept  highest,  and  slope  away  into  the  same  hollow 


MOUNDS  AND  BANKS.  215 

as  before,  treating  the  projecting  front  as  a  flattened  arm  of 
the  general  mass. 

What  I  have  thus  described,  in  terms  which  might  lead  to 
the  supposition  that  considerable  variations  of  surface  were 
contemplated,  refers  simply  to  such  as  can  be  compassed  on  a 
comparatively  small  bank,  and  on  a  scale  of  inches  in  change  of 
height  rather  than  feet.  Nothing  need  be  less  beautiful  because 
it  is  small ;  and  the  rules  of  taste  embrace  the  least  as  well 
as  the  greatest  things.  Nor  will  there  be  a  seeming  pretension 
about  the  adaptation  of  such  rules  as  this,  in  reference  to  the 
smallest  mounds. 

Perhaps  the  most  influential  characteristic  of  an  artificial 
bank  is  its  being  well  tailed  out  into  the  ground,  and  by  a 
decided  under  curve.  There  can  be  no  resemblance  to  nature 
without  this.  It  gives  the  very  crowning  stroke  of  finish  and 
grace.  But  as  this  point  has  been  more  than  once  previously 
insisted  on,  it  does  not  demand  further  pressing. 

Much  of  the  success  of  any  efforts  to  vary  and  undulate 
banks  of  earth,  will  turn  upon  the  way  in  which  they  are 
planted,  and  the  turf  is  brought  up  their  faces.  The  boldest 
swells  require  to  be  as  boldly  planted ;  that  is,  with  the  tallest 
description  of  plants  admissible.  The  smaller  elevations  and 
the  hollows  can  be  similarly  treated ;  thus  making  the  entire 
range  a  series  of  undulations  on  the  surface  of  the  plants,  as 
well  as  that  of  the  ground ;  the  first  corresponding  in  a  great 
degree  to  the  last.  Along  the  fronts,  also,  the  plants  should 
come  much  lowTer  down  on  the  fuller  parts,  so  as  to  increase  the 
effect  of  their  fulness ;  and  any  weeping  specimens,  or  such  as 
naturally  send  forward  their  branches  in  a  more  horizontal 
direction,  should  be  placed  here  writh  the  same  object.  In  the 
hollows  or  bays,  on  the  contrary,  the  planting  should  retire 
nearly  to  the  upper  surface  of  the  mound,  the  turf,  of  course, 
following  the  line  of  planting,  within  a  foot  or  two,  in  both 
cases.  Grass  may  even  be  carried  over  the  edge  of  the  mound 
m  some  of  the  hollows,  and  so  far  across  it  as  just  to  leave  room 
for  a  few  shrubs  to  cover  the  wall  or  fence  that  may  happen 


216  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

to  be  behind.  Or,  if  there  be  nothing  to  conceal,  some  of  the 
lowest  hollows  may  have  a  glade  of  grass  carried  entirely  across 
them,  which  will  greatly  relieve  and  lighten  a  lengthy  range. 

According  to  the  several  purposes  for  which  mounds  are  used, 
should  be  their  ordinary  treatment.  If  for  covering  boundary 
fences,  they  ought  to  be  almost  entirely  planted  with  taller  or 
dwarf  things,  and  also  be  continuous.  Where  they  are  placed 
between  parallel  walks,  to  separate  them  from  each  other,  if 
they  are  of  any  length,  several  of  their  hollows  can  be  turfed 
through,  leaving  a  low  specimen  plant  or  two  on  the  grass, 
irregularly,  in  one  or  two  of  them.  They  may  also  have  more 
of  undulation  than  those  of  the  former  class.  If  a  mound  be 
made  to  furnish  a  good  view  of  the  garden,  or  a  prospect  of  the 
neighbouring  country,  from  its  summit,  great  height  should 
never  be  attempted  in  a  small  place  ;  audit  should,  if  possible, 
form  part  of  a  range,  that  it  may  not  appear  too  conspicuous 
and  unconnected.  The  breadth  must  constantly  bear  some  pro- 
portion to  the  height,  or  it  will  seem  glaringly  artificial,  and  a 
mere  conceit.  Besides,  it  will  be  difficult  to  convey  a  walk  to 
its  summit,  unless  there  is  some  breadth  to  wind  around. 

Such  a  mound  as  the  last-named  may  be  partially  planted 
with  close  tufts  or  clusters  of  shrubs,  to  cover  the  walk,  and 
shut  in  some  parts  of  the  view.  A  few  low  trees,  more  sparingly 
dotted  about,  will  contribute  to  give  it  stability  and  character. 
The  walk  should,  of  course,  be  quite  narrow,  and  may  ascend 
by  a  zigzag  route  on  one  side  only,  or  by  curving  round  the 
entire  face  of  the  mound.  It  might  appropriately  be  composed, 
in  its  steeper  parts,  of  easy  nights  of  rustic  steps. 

3.  Among  the  trees  adapted  to  associate  with  different  styles 
of  buildings,  there  are  three  distinct  classes,  easily  recognisable 
by  the  particular  shape  their  heads  and  branches  assume.  The 
first  and  largest  group  produces  roundish  and  clustering  heads, 
when  their  full  growth  is  attained.  The  Oak,  the  Ash,  and  the 
Elm  are  familiar  examples.  Another  set,  much  more  thinly 
scattered,  send  out  their  branches  horizontally  throughout  their 
whole  height.     The  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  the  varieties  of  Fir,  {not 


ARCHITECTURAL   CHARACTER   OF   TREES. 


217 


Tine,)  the  common  Yew  less  perfectly,  the  Larch,  and  the  de- 
ciduous Cypress  in  its  usual  state,  will  illustrate  this  section ; 
though  the  Scotch  Fir,  when  quite  old,  is  admirably  flat-headed. 
The  third  tribe,  which  has  very  few  members,  consists  of  upright 
or  fastigiate  trees.  The  Lombardy  Poplar  is  the  commonest 
instance;  though  the  upright  Elm  is  another  very  good  example. 
If  such  as  have  pointed  or  spiry  heads  be  included,  many  of  the 
second  class  will  come  within  this  also, — the  Firs  especially. 
Larch,  and  several  round-headed  trees,  in  their  younger  state, 
before  the  upper  branches  get  dense  and  spreading,  will  give  a 
pretty  clear  idea  of  spiry-topped  trees. 

Mr.  Repton,  in  his  "  Sketches  and  Hints"  on  landscape  gar- 
dening, lays  it  down  as  a  general  principle,  that  round-headed 


^u^s^x\ 


Fig.  134. 


trees  harmonise  best  with  Gothic  forms  of  architecture,  and 
trees  of  spiry  shape  (fig.  134)  with  Grecian  buildings;  on  the 
ground  that  the  horizontal  lines  which  prevail  in  the  latter 
style,  and  the  perpendicular  in  the  former,  are  best  exhibited 
and  relieved  by  contrast  with  vegetable  forms  of  an  opposite 

10 


218 


PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 


character.  Without  questioning  the  soundness  of  the  rule, 
which  appears  quite  unexceptionable,  it  may  be  doubted 
whether,  in  the  case  of  Grecian  and  Italian  structures,  at 
least,  the  appropriateness  of  the  Fir  and  Cypress  tribe  is  not 
the  result  of  association ;  as  the  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  the  branches 
of  which  are  purely  horizontal,  is  the  most  magnificent  of  all 
accompaniments  for  any  variety  of  Grecian  architecture,  but  is 


Fig.  135. 


not  at  all  suited  for  either  of  the  forms  of  Gothic.  And  so, 
perhaps,  the  old  ancestral  Elms  and  Oaks,  in  which  many  an 
English  Gothic  house  is  often  embosomed,  (fig.  135,)  may,  by 
the  commonness  and  antiquity  of  the  usage,  have  given  a  pro- 
priety to  the  employment  of  that  kind  of  tree  in  relation  to  all 
similar  edifices. 

Still,  if  it  be  admitted  that  certain  descriptions  of  trees  throw 


ARCHITECTURAL  CHARACTER  OF  TREES.  219 

out  and  accord  with  the  forms  of  certain  architectural  styles,  it 
may,  for  aught  that  appears  to  the  contrary,  be  fairly  assumed 
that  the  use  of  those  trees  in  such  situations  had  its  origin  in 
their  fitness,  or  supposed  fitness,  for  the  purpose;  and  that, 
though  they  may  be  peculiar  to  any  given  country  in  which  the 
style  of  building  to  which  they  are  now  allied,  preponderates,  or 
has  at  some  former  period  prevailed,  that  very  style  may  have 
been  founded  on  its  adaptation  to  the  natural  characteristics 
of  the  country,  trees  not  being  among  the  least  significant  of 
these. 

Possibly  I  may  not  be  far  wrong  in  accounting  for  the  con- 
nexion, which  has,  somehow,  sprung  up  between  particular 
classes  of  trees  and  particular  styles  of  buildings,  by  a  reference 
to  the  character  of  the  leaves  rather  than  the  distinctive  lines  of 
the  branches  or  heads.  Light,  thin,  and  feathery  leaves  charac- 
terise all  the  plants  that  look  best  when  in  contact  with  the 
varied  class  of  Grecian  structures, — the  heaviness  (or  rather 
massiveness)  and  regularity  of  Grecian  forms  demanding  some 
such  contrast  and  mitigation.  Gothic  buildings,  on  the  other 
hand,  already  light  and  playful,  full  of  variety,  and  abounding 
in  small  decorations,  require  more  of  the  depth  and  breadth  of 
foliage  for  which  round-headed  trees  are  conspicuous,  to  bring 
out  their  elegance,  and  impart,  at  the  same  time,  a  more  sub- 
stantial character. 

Practically  applying  the  subject,  however,  the  very  upright 
and  the  very  horizontal  forms  of  trees, — such  as  have  spiry 
heads,  and  those  of  which  the  upper  branches  are  nearly  flat,— 
may  occupy  any  desired  position  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Grecian,  Roman,  or  Italian  houses;  while  shrubs  of  similar 
(but  chiefly  upright)  habits,  and  such  as  are  pruned  or  trained 
into  standards,  with  formal  heads,  will  suit  gardens  laid  out  in 
any  kindred  style.  In  addition  to  those  which  have  been 
named,  I  may  note  the  Deodar  Cedar,  the  Araucaria  imbricata, 
and  the  Hemlock  Spruce,  with  the  Cypress  tribe,  and  especially 
the  Irish  Yew,  for  gardens,  as  deserving  of  particular  praise. 
Larch,  Birch,  Acacias,  the  purple  Beech,  (though  principally  for 


220  PARTICULAR  OBJECTS. 

its  colour,)  the  fern-leaved  Beech,  the  Turkey  Oak,  and  the 
Lime,  will  further  be  suitable  for  the  same  style  of  erection. 

On  the  principle  above  suggested,  besides  the  numerous 
species  of  round-headed  trees,  of  which  the  Sycamore  for 
westerly  districts  may  be  specially  singled  out,  and  the  Horse 
Chestnut  and  Spanish  Chestnut  for  more  inland  counties,  all 
the  broader-leaved  sorts  of  ornamental  low  trees  and  shrubs  will 
be  preferable  for  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Gothic  houses.  Por- 
tugal Laurels,  common  Laurels,  different  kinds  of  Magnolia, 
Ivy,  Hollies,  the  Yew  for  its  dark  sombre  colour,  the  Arbutus, 
Aucuba,  <fcc,  will  all  be  to  some  extent  harmonious.  And  com- 
moner and  less  exotic  plants  may  generally  be  brought  closer 
to  a  Gothic  house  without  injuring  its  effect,  than  they  can  be 
to  any  more  classical  structure.  The  latter  seems  to  require 
associating  with  more  foreign  species.  And  the  same  remarks 
will  hold  good  with  respect  to  gardens  treated  in  either  the 
classic  or  irregular  style.  Rarer  and  more  unfamiliar  forms  are 
required  for  formal  gardens.  Those  in  the  flowing  or  English 
manner  will  be  fitly  supplied  with  a  mixture  of  both  common 
and  valuable  varieties. 

Trees  can,  without  impropriety  as  to  appearance,  be  placed 
nearer  to  a  Gothic  then  a  Grecian  house.  Gothic  architecture 
is  rather  improved  by  a  frame-work  of  trees ;  Grecian  only  just 
tolerates  them.  With  either  style,  however,  the  sudden  dip  of 
the  building  to  connect  with  it  a  low  wing,  or  the  equally 
abrupt  rise  to  form  a  tower,  may  often  be  softened  with  advan- 
tage by  the  introduction  of  a  good  and  appropriate  tree  in  the 
angle,  if  this  does  not  cover  any  window  or  other  detail  of  con- 
sequence. In  the  same  way,  a  suitable  lower  plant  or  shrub  in 
a  deep  angle  of  the  building,  or  at  a  very  bare  corner  of  it,  will 
sometimes  divest  it  of  a  cold  and  naked  appearance,  and  adorn 
rather  than  deface  it.  If  one  comer  of  a  building  stands  higher 
above  the  level  of  the  garden  than  the  other,  as  will  sometimes 
be  the  case  on  sloping  land,  it  will  particularly  require  help 
from  a  good  large  shrub  or  group  at  the  corner  that  rises  most 
out  of  the  earth,  to  give  it  the  requisite  balance. 


TREES   AS  ACCOMPANIMENTS  TO   BUILDINGS.  221 

The  high  ends  of  buildings  frequently  demand  some  kind  of 
plants  to  support  them,  and  take  off  the  hardness  of  their  edges. 
No  building  should  appear  altogether  naked  and  alone,  but 
form  a  constituent  part  of  a  landscape.  If  the  lines,  therefore, 
be  not  duly  carried  down  in  the  erection  itself,  and  blended 
with  those  of  the  ground, — a  thing  which  can  very  rarely  be 
accomplished, — the  effect  of  connexion  should  be  attained  by 
accompanying  trees.  Where  a  house  is  placed  on  a  knoll, 
mound,  or  other  kind  of  elevation,  some  such  assistance  becomes 
all  the  more  essential.  But  the  trees  need  not  in  all  cases 
approach  closely  to  the  end  of  the  building ;  as  enough  of 
union  of  lines  and  balance  of  parts  may  mostly  be  produced  by 
placing  them  at  a  little  distance  from  it. 

No  subject,  perhaps,  is  less  studied  by  landscape  gardeners, 
or  occasions  more  alarm  in  the  mind  of  an  architect,  than  the 
necessity  that  exists  for  assisting  the  effect  of  houses  by  the 
felicitous  introduction  around  them  of  a  few  trees  or  shrubs  at 
the  right  points.  Without  some  such  help,  a  house  might 
almost  as  well  be  in  a  town  as  in  the  country  ;  and  the  most 
artistic  combination  of  parts  will  fail  to  satisfy  a  tasteful 
observer,  unless  there  blend  with  the  building,  at  certain 
intervals,  larger  or  smaller  patches  of  green  foliage.  Even  a 
mansion  of  the  highest  and  most  classical  kind  will  not  be 
exempted  from  this  rule ;  as  any  one  may  perceive  wTho 
examines  the  principal  or  entrance  front  of  what  is  probably  the 
most  magnificent  pile  of  its  class  in  this  country — Blenheim. 
Unquestionably,  the  architect  has  done  everything  to  vary  and 
enrich  the  elevation,  which  is  grand  and  palatial  to  the  last 
degree  ;  but  for  want  of  a  little  daring  in  the  treatment  of  the 
entrance-court,  so  as  to  obtain  such  trees  and  shrubs  as  should, 
without  marring  the  design,  subdue  the  glare  of  the  masonry, 
and  mingle  appropriately  with  its  outlines,  the  entire  effect, 
unless  from  some  point  in  the  park  where  the  Beech  trees  of 
the  latter  can  be  brought  into  partial  connexion  with  the 
palace,  is  cold,  harsh,  and  intensely  unsatisfactory. 

The  same  remark  (if  I  may  venture  to  comment,  for  a 


222  PAETICULAK   OBJECTS. 

moment  longer,  on  so  truly  noble  and  national  a  production) 
will  apply  to  the  bridge  across  the  lake  on  the  approach  to 
Blenheim.  Here  the  happy  audacity  which  raised  such  a  lofty 
and  gigantic  work,  and  which  must  have  braved  an  immense 
amount  of  probable  temporary  criticism  as  to  its  height  and 
size,  with  the  far-seeing  consciousness  that  nothing  lower  could 
ever  form  such  a  stand-point  for  exhibiting  the  mansion,  park, 
and  lake  to  advantage,  while  nothing  smaller  would  fitly  unite 
with  the  other  grand  features  of  the  place ;  has  had  no  seconder 
in  the  accompaniments  to  the  bridge,  so  that  its  outlines  re- 
main, in  many  respects,  rude  and  hard  as  at  first,  while  a  few 
evergreen  trees  and  shrubs  would  speedily  soften  away  and 
remedy  all  the  defects,  and  cause  the  bridge  to  seem,  as  it 
were,  to  be  growing  out  of  the  banks  on  either  side. 

It  may  possibly  be  a  legitimate  subject  of  doubt  whether  the 
yet  more  majestic  residence  of  our  Sovereign  at  Windsor,  pic- 
turesque and  princely  as  it  is  universally  acknowledged  to  be, 
and  deriving  so  much  of  artistic  finish  from  the  variety  in  the 
height  and  form  of  its  towers,  from  the  expansion  of  its 
dependent  parts  in  the  direction  of  the  town,  and  from  the  trees 
(out  of  the  tops  of  which  it  appears  to  rise)  on  the  precipitous 
slope  at  its  northern  base,  would  not  materially  gain  in  interest 
and  in  pictorial  power,  if  not  in  dignity,  by  the  interfusion  (so 
to  speak)  of  a  few  venerable  Elms  or  Oaks  among  its  tamer  parts, 
and  about  its  abrupter  corners ;  although  it  is  admitted  that  a 
structure  of  such  breadth  and  magnitude,  crowning  a  rocky 
steep,  actually  requires  the  aid  of  trees  less  than  almost  any 
otb  er  kind  of  edifice  or  position  that  can  be  imagined. 

4.  To  produce  strong  and  striking  effects  in  a  garden,  there 
must  be  not  merely  a  tolerably  varied  collection  of  plants,  well 
mixed  up  together,  and  disposed  so  as  to  give  variety  and 
contrast,  but  groups  of  particular  hinds  should  be  planted  in 
prominent  j:>laces,  that  occasional  broader  masses  of  a  peculiar 
form  or  colour  may  be  obtained.  From  three  to  six  or  even 
eight  specimens  of  some  showy  kinds  may  thus  be  planted  in  an 
irregular  group,  at  any  jutting  point  in  a  bed,  or  on  some  swell 


GROUPS  OF  ONE  KIND  OF  PLANT.  223 

of  a  mound,  and  will  create  a  very  striking  impression  by  their 
foliage  or  flowers.  They  should  be  placed  near  enough  to  each 
other  to  grow  into  a  thicket,  without  injury  to  any  of  the  plants, 
that  only  one  dense  mass  of  heads,  and  none  of  the  individual 
stems  may  be  seen,  and  that  the  effect  may  be  more  like  what 
one  immense  specimen  would  yield. 

This  system  of  arrangement,  combining  the  advantages  of 
massing  plants  of  one  sort  without  any  of  its  evils,  is  well 
worthy  of  being  more  freely  pursued  than  it  is  at  present.  A 
group  of  pink  or  crimson  Rhododendrons  of  one  kind,  that  will 
bloom  all  at  once ;  of  Herberts  aquifolium,  for  both  flowers  and 
fruit ;  of  the  red-flowering  Currant,  which  is  all  the  gayer  for 
appearing  so  early ;  of  Laburnums,  the  English  and  Scotch 
varieties  being  mixed ;  of  common  Lilacs ;  of  the  Cydonia 
japonica,  with  only  about  three  plants ;  of  yellow  or  mixed 
Azaleas ;  of  any  bright  or  dark-flowering  sort  of  Rose ;  of 
Daphne pontica,  for  its  form  and  scent ;  or  even  of  common  Dog- 
woods, which  are  particularly  attractive  in  autumn,  when  the 
leaves  begin  to  change  colour,  and  during  winter,  when  their 
blood-red  branches  have  the  effect  of  flowers  at  a  distance,  and 
are  well-fitted  for  clothing  small  islands ;  of  Tamarisk,  over- 
hanging the  steep  face  of  a  mound ;  of  Broom,  in  a  more  open 
part  of  an  outside  plantation ;  of  Savin,  Heath,  or  Cotoneaster 
microphylla,  or  Gaultheria  Shallon,  where  a  tuft  of  dwarf 
plants  is  wanted ;  and,  not  to  multiply  examples  further,  of 
any  variegated,  or  pale  green,  or  silvery-leaved  variety  that 
does  not  grow  too  large  ; — will  add  a  novel  and  most  inviting 
feature  to  a  garden,  and  make  it  very  conspicuous  at  particu- 
lar seasons. 

For  the  still  lower  tribe  of  plants,  and  even  for  annuals,  the 
plan  is  fully  as  suitable.  Every  one  is  now  aware  what  splendid 
displays  are  created  by  the  various  kinds  of  half-hardy  plants 
with  which  gardens  maybe  decorated  in  masses  during  summer. 
Some  things,  in  fact,  which  would,  when  solitary,  be  almost 
contemptible,  acquire  a  marked  showiness  if  collected  into 
a  group.     And  many  annuals,  that  are  straggling  and  poor 


224  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

as  individual  objects,  become,  in  broad  patches,  (which  is  the 
best  way  of  growing  them,)  highly  ornamental  and  handsome. 

5.  When  planted  on  the  sunny  side  of  a  garden,  or  of  any 
part  thereof,  trees  (and  shrubs  more  feebly,  and  for  a  shorter 
period)  project  a  variety  of  shadoics,  which  an  artist  would 
rightly  esteem  some  of  the  most  decided  beauties  of  a  landscape. 
Light  and  shade  is  what  an  architect  of  sound  feeling  will  always 
aim  to  procure  in  the  exterior  of  his  building ;  and  the  plan 
that  secures  a  due  admixture  of  these  will  be  most  praised  and 
admired,  other  things  being  equal.  In  a  garden  scene,  too, 
although  this  is  a  matter  very  little  considered,  an  immense 
deal  of  the  beauty  will  depend  upon  the  nice  arrangement  of 
parts  to  secure  these. 

Open  bursts  of  sunshine  are  not  more  essential,  and  are 
generally  less  effective,  than  shadows  in  a  landscape.  It  is 
during  showery  weather,  when  gloom  and  sunlight  are  continu- 
ally succeeding  each  other,  and  Nature  is  shrouded  in  dulness 
one  moment,  but  brilliantly  illuminated  the  next, — when  the 
outlines  and  motion  of  the  clouds  are  faithfully  pictured  on  the 
earth  as  they  hurriedly  sweep  over  hill  and  valley, — that  beauti- 
ful scenery  becomes  far  more  lovely  and  pleasing.  And  there 
must  be  a  compounding  of  the  same  elements  of  light  and 
shade  in  a  garden  to  give  it  its  last  finish. 

It  will,  however,  be  chiefly  on  the  west  and  south-west  sides 
of  a  place  that  the  shadows  will  be  most  interesting.  The  sun 
is  too  high  in  the  heavens  at  midday  to  occasion  any  but  the 
smallest  shadows,  and  those  only  to  the  very  tallest  trees.  It 
is  towards  evening,  when  the  stillness  and  softness  of  the  air,  or 
the  glory  of  the  descending  sun,  invite  to  a  closer  communion 
wTith  Nature,  that  shadows  will  be  most  conspicuous,  and  most 
rapidly  changing.  The  lines  or  grouping  of  western  and  south- 
western plantations  should  be  particularly  arranged  with  refer- 
ence to  their  shadows ;  that  these  may  be  varied,  but  pleasingly 
rounded,  and  softly  mingled.  And  as  the  shade  from  every- 
thing becomes  exaggerated  in  its  dimensions  the  lower  the  sun 
descends,  there  will  be  the  more  necessity  that  the  upper  lines 


TREATMENT  OF  SHADOWS.  225 

of  the  plantations  under  notice  shall  be  gentle,  elegant,  and 
finished  ;  while  the  plants  should  rarely  be  very  large,  or  their 
shade  will  cover  the  whole  garden  towards  evening,  and  lose 
its  effect.  If  the  full  light  of  the  sinking  sun  can  be  let  in 
uninterruptedly  through  two  or  three  openings  on  to  the 
lawn,  the  result  will  be  a  more  chequered,  and  therefore  a 
more  beautiful  one.  There  may  be  a  large  amount  of  plea- 
sure drawn  from  this  source  by  a  devoted  student. 

Other  sides  of  a  place,  though  of  less  consequence  in  regard 
to  shadows,  will  not  be  unproductive  of  them.  On  the  south 
margin,  it  must  be  a  pretty  high  tree  that  will  produce  any 
very  manifest  effect ;  and  large  trees  can  be  very  little  tolerated 
in  that  quarter.  More  than  two  or  three,  at  distant  intervals, 
would  be  decidedly  undesirable.  Further  east,  a  little  may 
be  done ;  but  it  must  be  set  about  cautiously,  for  fear  of  creat- 
ing injurious  shade.  All  the  specimens  and  groups  on  a  lawn 
will,  at  some  period  of  the  day,  give  forth  partial  shadows, 
and  this  will  be  one  of  the  advantages  of  varying  their  out- 
lines and  arrangement.  As  a  series  of  only  little  patches  of 
light  and  shade  would  be  wearisome  and  distressing  to  the 
eye,  this  shows  the  necessity  of  having  a  good  open  glade  of 
lawn,  entirely  free  from  plants,  in  another  and  vivid  light. 

6.  To  furnish  the  means  of  growing  to  perfection  the  very 
charming  tribe  of  climbing  plants,  beyond  the  mode  of  train- 
ing them  to  poles,  there  will  occasionally  be  places  in  a  garden 
where  a  small  covered  wray,  formed  of  wooden  or  wire  trellis, 
can  be  erected,  and  rendered  both  ornamental  in  itself  and  fitted 
for  supporting  a  few  choice  Roses,  &c.  Such  an  object  may 
either  be  attached  to  the  front  of  a  wall,  and  be  open  only  at 
one  side,  having  a  close  roof;  when  it  will  be  a  good  means  of 
disguising  a  blank  wall,  and,  if  attached  to  the  house  at  one 
end,  will  make  a  dry  and  agreeable  winter  promenade.  Or  it 
may  be  in  the  shape  of  an  arch,  trellised  all  over,  and  capable 
of  sustaining  plants  on  its  entire  surface.  As  a  connecting  link 
between  the  pleasure-grounds  and  the  kitchen-garden,  or  from 
the  general  garden  into  any  retired  rosery,  or  flower-garden,  or 

10* 


226  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

other  separate  part ;  or  even  over  one  of  the  common  walks, 
where  the  shrubs  close  in  upon  it  on  either  side,  and  it  will  not 
be  seen  from  the  house ;  an  arch  of  this  kind  will  be  very  useful 
and  pleasing.     Wire  is  the  most  durable  and  wood  the  most 
effective  material  for  composing  it,  and  can  be  worked  into  any 
shape.     It  will  possess  more  style  if,  in  addition  to  the  simple 
arch,  it  assume,  without  heaviness  or  intricacy,  some  rather 
architectural  form,  in  accordance  with  the  character  of  the  house. 
Anything  in  the  form  of  a  verandah,  or  an  external  corridor 
put  in  the  recess  of  a  house,  would  furnish  another  means  of 
growing  the  better  sorts  of  climbers;  and  would  likewise, 
^especially  in  very  hilly  or  picturesque  localities,  or  with  refer- 
ence to  any  house  that  partakes  of  a  cottage  character,  or  that 
would  admit  of  such  an  accessory,  assist  materially  in  improving 
the  outline,  and  in  creating  effective  masses  of  shadow.     If 
made  sufficiently  lofty,  too,  such  verandahs  need  not  at  all 
interfere  with  the  admission  of  light  to  the  windows  of  the 
house ;  and,  in  summer,  when  the  climbers  would  be  in  fuller 
foliage  and  more  diffuse  in  their  growth,  the  little  extra  shade 
they  would  occasion  would  be  grateful  rather  than  annoying. 
For  the  centre  of  a  rosery  or  secluded  flower-garden,  or  in  the 
middle  or  at  one  corner  of  any  flower-garden  that  does  not 
immediately  adjoin  the  house,  or  at  the  end  of  a  straight  walk 
in  some  situations,  a  small  ornamental  wire  temple,  for  training 
climbers  upon,  and  supplying  a  summer  arbour,  will  sometimes 
be  a  very  pretty  and  pleasant  feature  in  a  garden.     It  should, 
however,  be  chaste  in  design,  and  not  at  all  elaborately  deco- 
rated ;  being  rather  of  a  good  general  shape  than  ornate  in  the 
details  of  the  pattern.     Bottle-shaped  wire  frames,  with  a  re- 
curved rim  ;  those  with  the  figure  of  a  flat  vase,  having  the  rim 
also  turned  down ;  pillars  made  of  open  wire,  with  a  proper 
capital ;  the  more  common  umbrella-shaped  wire  stands ;  wire 
baskets,  either  witli  or  without  stands  and  handles;  and  a  multi- 
tude of  other  suitable  and  elegant  forms  in  which  wire  can  be 
worked,  will  be  very  interesting  accompaniments  to  a  flower- 
garden,  or  decorations  to  a  lawn,  when  covered  with  some  rapid- 


DWARF  EVERGREENS  FOR  BEDS.  227 

growing  summer-climbers.  Whatever  figure  may  be  selected, 
however,  for  the  frame,  it  will  always  exhibit  climbers  better 
if  its  upper  edge  be  curved  outwards  and  downwards,  that  some 
of  the  shoots  of  the  plants  may  curl  over,  and  dangle  gracefully 
hi  the  air. 

7.  Lest  the  occurrence  of  a  number  of  empty  beds  on  a  lawn 
or  in  a  flower-garden,  where  the  system  of  massing  summer 
plants  is  adopted,  should  impart  to  a  place  a  bare  and  desolate 
aspect  during  winter,  a  store  of  the  lower  kinds  of  evergreens 
should  be  kept  in  pots ,  and  plunged  in  some  part  of  the  kitchen- 
garden,  or  in  any  reserved  corner  through  the  summer,  to  be 
transferred  to  the  flower-beds  directly  their  gayer  furniture  has 
been  cleared  away  in  autumn.  Such  a  plan  is  less  troublesome 
than  it  appears  to  be ;  for  if  the  plants  be  kept  constantly  in 
pots,  summer  and  winter,  and  merely  be  plunged  in  the  ground ; 
a  simple  re-potting  once  a  year,  with  an  occasional  watering  in 
only  the  very  driest  summer  weather,  will  be  all  the  attention 
they  want  for  three  or  four  years,  when  they  will  require 
renewing  by  propagation. 

The  fittest  kinds  for  the  office  will  be  several  dwarf  Heaths, 
particularly  the  Erica  earned,  Cotoneaster  microphylla,  Berbe- 
ris  aquifolium,  Menziesia  polifolia,  Andromeda  floribunda, 
Pernettya  mucronata,  Aretostaphylos  uva-ursi,  Gaultheria 
Shallon,  G.  procumbens,  Ledum  buxifolium,  Rhododendrons 
ferrugineum  and  hirsutum,  the  common  trailing  Savin,  the 
tamarisk-leaved  Savin,  Sun  Roses,  and  the  varieties  of  the  minor 
Periwinkle.  By  a  judicious  choice  and  variation  of  these,  putting 
one  sort  only  to  a  bed,  some  amount  of  verdure  and  liveliness 
will  be  produced  during  winter,  at  a  cost  of  labour  and  materials 
which  are  entirely  insignificant  in  comparison  with  the  effect 
realised.  The  intermixture  of  a  few  beds  of  variegated  Ivy,  or 
variegated  Periwinkle  or  Savin,  or  even  the  variegated  Hollies, 
(especially  the  prickly,)  variegated  Yew,  and  Aucuba,  kept 
dwarf,  would  increase  the  variety.  The  plants  should  be  potted 
in  rather  a  poor  soil,  lest  they  grow  too  luxuriant,  and  send  their 
roots  too  far  beyond  the  pots. 


228  PARTICULAR  OBJECTS. 

8.  Beneath  trees  and  shrubs  which  are  so  dense  or  create 
such  a  thick  shade  that  grass  icillnot  live,  and  has  to  be  renewed 
every  year,  a  simple  and  convenient  plan  of  carpeting  the 
ground  is  to  plant  it  with  patches  of  Periwinkles,  English  and 
Irish  Ivy,  and  Hypericum  calycinum.  Bare  earth,  which  does 
not  even  produce  weeds,  and  on  which,  in  consequence  of  the 
number  and  strength  of  the  roots  from  trees,  a  sufficient  under- 
growth of  shrubs  cannot  be  obtained,  has  an  exceedingly  cold 
and  poor  appearance  in  some  parts  of  a  garden,  and  tends  to 
make  a  place  look  smaller.  Irish  Ivy  and  the  larger  Periwin- 
kles form  a  rich  and  luxuriant  carpet  in  such  places ;  while  a 
few  masses  of  the  other  kinds  mentioned  will  cause  a  pleasing 
change,  especially  at  some  seasons  of  the  year.  But  these 
dwarfer  sorts  of  undergrowth  are  principally  adapted  for  such 
plantations  as  are  nearer  the  outside  of  a  place,  and  those 
which  may  run  along  the  sides  of  a  shrubbery-walk  in  a  field ; 
and  they  must  be  well-watered  for  a  year  or  two  after  planting. 

9.  Where  hedge-rows  are  employed  as  a  boundary-fence,  or 
are  used  inside  a  wall  or  paling  to  conceal  it  from  view,  their 
ordinary  unsightliness  and  hardness  of  line  may  be  very  greatly 
relieved  by  a  little  attention  to  pruning,  and  by  fronting  them 
here  and  there  with  a  few  scattered  bushes  of  the  same  or  other 
kinds.  In  assuming  that  a  hedge  is  unsightly,  however,  I 
would  not  be  misunderstood.  When  perfectly  developed  and 
furnished,  and  nicely  trimmed,  a  good  hedge  is  rather  a  beau- 
tiful than  an  ugly  thing  in  itself;  but,  as  I  have  before  alleged, 
no  description  of  fence  conveys  an  agreeable  idea ;  and  one  that 
is  formal  becomes  all  the  more  distinct,  setting  a  conspicuous 
limitation  to  a  place,  and  interfering  with,  or  cutting  off,  the 
landscape  beyond.  The  more  effectually  a  boundary  line  is 
disguised  and  got  rid  of,  therefore,  the  greater  latitude  of 
dimensions  will  be  attained.  But  a  hedge,  when  it  is  seen  for 
any  length  of  its  line,  is  quite  fatal  to  such  indefiniteness. 

One  way  of  dressing  a  hedge  so  as  to  destroy  its  regularity 
of  line,  is,  after  it  has  become  sufficiently  strong  and  sturdy,  to 
prune  out  individual  branches  only,  and  not  cut  it  to  a  uniform 


BREAKING  THE   LINES   OF   HEDGES.  229 

height.  Several  of  the  plants  may,  in  places,  have  their  heads 
individually  cut  down,  without  destroying  the  smaller  spray ; 
while  in  other  parts,  at  unequal  intervals,  only  one,  two,  or 
three  heads  need  be  cut  off.  By  carrying  out  this  plan  with 
the  utmost  irregularity,  and  letting  some  of  the  bushes  grow 
up  more  wildly,  a  ragged,  broken,  and  more  natural-looking  line 
may  be  produced ;  and  this  is  particularly  important  where,  in 
the  case  of  a  high  hedge,  it  rises  above  the  line  of  the  horizon, 
or  stands  across  a  view  that  is  obtained  into  the  open  country. 
But,  however  tastefully  a  hedge  may  be  cut,  its  ground  line 
will  still  remain  a  straight  one ;  and,  to  vary  this,  a  few  tufts 
of  bushes,  such  as  common  Thorns  or  Hollies,  may  be  scattered 
at  different  distances,  and  in  different  numbers,  along  its  front, 
as  in  fig.  136,  and  never  be  pruned  at  all.     Of  course  such 


Pig.  136. 

plants  should  be  put  only  where  the  hedge  behind  them  has 
been  left  comparatively  unpruned,  and  not  opposite  the  pruned 
parts.  In  this  manner,  by  the  exercise  of  a  little  judgment  in 
disposing  and  diversifying  the  groups,  the  harsh  line  of  a  hedge 
may  be  nearly  hidden ;  and  a  wall  or  close  paling,  where  there 
is  no  hedge,  might  be  similarly  darkened  and  concealed  by  the 
same  means,  taking  care  to  prune  down  the  plants  partially 
and  irregularly  at  points  where,  after  they  acquire  their  full 
size,  they  w^ould  intercept  the  view.  The  propriety  of  using 
common  Thorns  and  common  Hollies  jointly  for  this  purpose 
will  be  seen  when  it  is  remembered  that  they  are  both  indige- 
nous plants,  and  both  grow  naturally  into  irregular  and  pic- 
turesque shapes,  and  both,  when  quite  established,  are  sturdy 
and  prickly  enough  to  deter  cattle  from  attacking  them. 
One  of  the  chief  advantages  of  the  plan  is,  that  though  the 


230  PARTICULAR  OBJECTS. 

plants  thus  used  will  require  protection  from  cattle  till  they 
have  thoroughly  grown,  they  may  subsequently  be  left  entirely 
unprotected.  For  varying  hedges,  or  hiding  other  fences  that 
are  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  the  common  Furze  may 
now  and  then  be  used  with  good  effect,  as  it  is  free-growing, 
of  a  natural  appearance,  does  not  reach  a  great  size,  and  is  an 
evergreen.  In  contrast  with  Thorns,  it  will  work  in  beauti- 
fully, and  resists  cattle  particularly  well. 

10.  New  plantations  will  often  call  for  a  greater  or  less 
amount  of  temporary  shelter,  as  they  may  happen  to  be  in  any 
degree  exposed,  or  as  the  plants  in  them  may  want  what  is 
usually  styled  "  nursing."  In  some  districts,  as  along  the  whole 
of  our  north-western  coast,  where  gales  laden  with  saline  matter 
are  so  baneful  to  the  progress  of  young  trees,  a  few  coarse  and 
rapid  growing  kinds,  towering  above  the  mass  of  the  plantation, 
will  catch  and  break  the  power  of  the  breeze,  and,  if  in  foliage, 
preserve  the  lower  and  better  sorts  wholly  unharmed.  Several 
species  of  Poplar  and  Willow  are  found  to  be  the  most  valuable 
of  such  nurses ;  and  their  mean  appearance  may  be  well  endured 
for  a  time,  in  consideration  of  their  services  ;  but  they  should 
be  gradually  cut  out  as  they  become  less  needed,  and  entirely 
destroyed  as  soon  as  they  have  thoroughly  done  their  work. 

Poplars,  Larch,  Wych-elm,  and  Scotch-fir,  will,  with  a  few 
others,  be  useful  in  more  inland  places,  when  scattered  among 
the  better  kinds  temporarily,  to  give  them  a  good  start.  An 
ornamental  tree  or  plant,  so  far  from  being  injured  by  having 
rather  near  and  common  neighbours  for  three  or  four  years,  is 
thereby  aided  in  making  an  energetic  and  more  speedy 
growth ;  and  if  the  nurses  are  not  placed  too  close  to  the  per- 
manent plants,  and  are  kept  within  due  bounds,  they  will 
assuredly  be  beneficial  in  helping  forward  the  plantation,  and 
can  be  taken  up  or  cut  out  at  any  time. 

Exactly  the  same  principle  will  apply  to  shrubs,  among  the 
best  of  which  Privet,  common  Laurel,  common  Holly,  common 
Broom,  &c,  may  be  found  of  the  greatest  use  in  encouraging 
them  onwards  for  a  few  years ;  though  greater  care  will  be 


TEMPORARY   SHELTER.  231 

requisite  here  to  hinder  the  inferior  things  from  trespassing  on 
their  more  aristocratic  companions,  otherwise  they  may  do 
them  irreparable  mischief. 

In  those  parts  of  the  country  where  the  prevalence  of  par- 
ticular winds  at  certain  seasons  renders  special  shelter  for  newly- 
planted  shrubs  indispensable,  this  should  be  afforded  on  the  like 
basis  to  that  previously  recommended  for  general  protection. 
Light  and  air  must  not  be  excluded.  And  the  materials  ot 
shelter  should  be  placed  on  one  or  two  sides  only,  shifting  them 
about  as  the  wind  may  come  on  to  blow  injuriously  from  any 
quarter.  Such  materials,  also,  as  are  partially  open,  and  not 
perfectly  impervious,  will  be  preferable,  as  staying,  and  not 
merely  turning  the  violence  of  the  wind.  Large  Fir  or  Pine 
branches  stuck  in  the  ground  at  a  short  distance  from  the 
plants  to  be  protected,  or  hurdles  interlaced  with  the  same,  or 
with  reeds,  strong  rushes,  furze,  or  laths,  and  placed  about  a 
yard  from  the  plants,  will  afford  enough  of  shelter  to  them 
without  diminishing  their  hardihood.  If  necessary,  the  same 
kind  of  screen  can  be  renewed  in  succeeding  years. 

1 1 .  Edgings  for  walks  may  be  exceedingly  various ;  but  there 
are  very  few  indeed  that  will  give  lasting  satisfaction.  Grass  is 
almost  the  only  one  that  can  be  altogether  commended  for 
pleasure  gardens ;  and  it  is  one  which,  if  carefully  laid,  and 
diligently  kept,  will  be  sure  to  please,  for  it  has  a  good  colour, 
smoothness,  regularity,  durableness  when  not  under  trees,  and 
harmony  with  both  the  architectural  and  the  vegetable  con- 
stituents of  a  garden.  It  furnishes,  likewise,  the  best  ground- 
tint  for  setting  off  the  colours  of  flowers,  as  in  a  flower-garden. 
As  an  edging,  it  should  invariably  be  flat,  and  at  an  equal 
height  (not  more  than  half-an-inch)  above  the  surface  of  the 
walk  at  its  margin,  with  about  an  inch  or  even  two  in  depth 
along  the  inner  line,  next  the  bed  or  border,  to  allow  for  the 
washing  down  of  the  soil  towards  it.  It  must  not  be  too 
narrow,  or  it  will  be  difficult  to  keep  cut,  and  the  sides  will  be 
likely  to  crumble  away. 

Box  edgings  are  troublesome,  liable  to  great  irregularities, 


232  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

apt  to  harbour  insects,  and  suitable  merely  for  quaint  figures 
and  old-fashioned  geometrical  designs.  They  are  the  proper 
accompaniments  of  parterres  and  small  flower-gardens  that  are 
laid  out  with  numerous  narrow  gravel  walks ;  though  near  the 
house,  in  a  truly  architectural  garden,  neatly  dressed  stone 
edgings  will  be  still  better.  Rougher  stone,  bricks,  thick  slates, 
and  tiles  may  make  strong  and  durable  edgings  for  kitchen- 
gardens.  Thrift  edgings,  in  connexion  with  cottages,  are  very 
pretty  when  perfect.  They  want  replanting,  however,  every 
three  years,  and  parts  of  them  frequently  perish,  leaving  the 
ugliest  gaps,  where  they  have  been  long  grown  in  the  same  spot, 
though  the  plants  should  be  ever  so  punctually  divided  and 
re-set.  The  dwarf  Gentian,  (Gentiana  acaulis,)  if  planted  in 
double  rows,  sometimes,  in  soil  that  suits  it,  makes  a  neat 
edging.  Heaths,  also,  particularly  the  common  Lyng  ( Calluna 
vulgaris)  may,  when  promptly  trimmed,  produce  an  excellent 
edging  for  a  heath  garden,  or  bed  of  American  plants.  The 
smaller  Periwinkle,  kept  in  due  limits,  is  useful  as  an  edging 
under  trees  ;  as  is  the  common  Ivy.  Arctostaphylos  uva-ursi 
will  be  appropriate  in  the  same  position  as  Heaths,  and  many 
varieties  of  Rock  and  Sun  Rose,  though  a  little  too  straggling, 
will  supply  a  novel  and  consistent  edging  to  a  border  in  which 
masses  of  stone  and  rock  plants  are  freely  mingled.  The 
Cotoneaster  micropliylla  is  likewise  suitable,  whether  on  level 
ground,  or  among  rocks,  and  will  bear  a  great  deal  of  trimming. 

The  most  valuable  requisites  in  an  edging  are  evenness, 
diminutiveness  or  capability  of  being  regularly  trimmed,  quiet- 
ness of  appearance  or  harmony  with  whatever  is  behind  it,  and 
permanence.  In  each  of  these  respects,  grass  will,  in  nearly  all 
circumstances,  except  in  the  kitchen  garden,  have  the  advan- 
tage. Where  it  is  least  in  character  is  immediately  alongside 
of  any  rocky  surface.  There,  the  common  Heath,  undressed, 
would  be  most  expressive  and  characteristic. 

Of  late  years,  it  has  become  the  fashion,  in  many  cases,  to 
put  edgings  to  beds,  whether  these  be  filled  with  dwarf  shrubs  or 
with  flowers.     In  respect  of  beds  arranged  formally,  and  occu- 


EDGINGS  TO  BEDS.  233 

pied  with  dwarf  shrubs,  as  in  regular  winter  gardens,  or  in 
peculiar  positions  on  lawns,  (see,  for  example,  the  beds  marked 
14  in  fig.  130,)  edgings  of  some  dwarfer  shrub  than  the  one 
employed  in  the  centre  of  each,  may  help  to  define  the  beds 
more  clearly,  to  impart  an  additional  air  of  neatness,  and  to 
secure  greater  contrast  and  variety. 

For  flower-beds,  again,  the  same  practice,  where  a  plant  of  a 
dwarfer  and  compacter  habit  is  used  as  the  edging,  may  be 
equally  suitable ;  and  if  a  decided  change  of  colour  be  thus 
introduced,  the  effect  may  become  even  brilliant.  But  the 
system  requires  to  be  pursued  with  judgment  and  caution, 
and  in  reference  more  to  individual  beds  or  small  groups  than 
to  a  regular  flower-garden. 

A  degree  of  quaintness,  and  an  appearance  of  antiquity,  are 
sometimes  attained  by  surrounding  large  flower  beds  on  lawns 
with  an  edging  of  some  shrub  or  tree,  and  keeping  this  duly 
clipped.  I  have  even  seen  the  common  Oak  and  the  Turkey 
Oak  thus  applied,  and  kept  at  the  height  of  about  nine  inches, 
presenting  a  dense  mass  of  leaves  in  the  summer  season.  With 
the  ordinary  materials  for  a  hedge, — Box,  Yew,  &c, — or  with 
Ivy,  the  larger  variety  of  variegated  Periwinkle,  Cotoneaster, 
Lyng,  <fcc,  the  formation  of  an  edging  of  this  sort  would  be  by 
no  means  difficult ;  though  its  value  appears  to  me  to  be  at 
least  doubtful. 

Ornamental  wire  edgings,  of  various  forms,  but  generally 
with  the  rim  curved  outwards,  are  occasionally  serviceable  in 
the  case  of  large  flower  beds,  as  they  may  be  made  the  vehicle 
for  displaying  several  pretty  summer  climbers  that  could  not  in 
any  other  way  be  conveniently  placed  upon  a  lawn.  The  varie- 
ties of  Maurandya,  Lophospermum,  Tropa3olum,  and  twining 
Convolvulus,  may  be  instanced  as  examples  of  this  class. 

And  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  mention  here  that  an 
edging  to  flower  beds  composed  of  rough  blocks  of  larch  or  oak, 
not  denuded  of  the  bark,  will,  if  sparingly  adopted,  answer  a 
most  important  purpose,  by  lifting  up  certain  of  the  beds,  and 
thus  giving  greater  elevation  and  distinctness  to  the  plants  in 


234  PARTICULAR   OBJECTS. 

them,  besides  divesting  a  parterre  or  a  group  of  everything  in 
the  shape  of  flatness  and  sameness.  Such  beds  may  be  raised 
one,  two,  or  even  three  feet  above  the  others,  according  to  the 
precise  circumstances  of  each  case,  and  the  blocks  surrounding 
them  may  be  vertical,  or  (as  is  better)  may  slope  outwards, 
and  may  have  flowering  plants  of  trailing  habits,  or  simple 
climbers,  dangling  irregularly  over  the  sides  in  summer. 


THE   PARK,    FIELD,    OR  PADDOCK.  235 


CHAPTER  IV. 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

If  a  place  be  analysed,  and  separated  into  its  constituent 
elements,  it  will  be  seen  to  consist  not  only  of  a  number  of 
general  and  particular  objects,  but  to  comprise  at  least  a  few 
individual  departments  that  have  features  of  their  own,  and 
demand  peculiar  treatment.  Should  any  of  these  not  be  very 
important,  in  point  of  extent,  much  of  what  is  lacking  in  dimen- 
sions may  be  made  up  and  compensated  by  extreme  attention 
to  the  disposal  and  regulation  of  every  part,  that  if  there  be  no 
palpable  merit  there  may  be  perfect  freedom  from  fault. 

1.  To  make  anything  of  a  park,  field,  or  paddock*  it  must  be 
managed  simply  as  if  it  were  a  park,  on  however  diminutive  a 
scale.  Its  size  will  not  materially  affect  the  question  of  design ; 
for  the  largest  field  or  park  would  only  contain  similar  features, 
much  more  boldly  carried  out. 

In  the  arrangement  and  furnishing  of  a  park,  the  same  prin- 
ciples are  to  be  observed  as  in  the  treatment  of  a  garden,  only 
in  a  much  rougher  and  bolder  way.  There  should  be  breadth 
of  glades,  with  planting  chiefly  at  the  margins,  disposed  in 
masses  or  groups,  with  openings  between,  and  fronted  by  occa- 
sional single  specimens.  Bareness  and  baldness  will  be  as 
faulty  as  on  a  lawn.  The  attempt  to  save  a  few  yards  of 
ground  for  pasture,  at  the  expense  of  all  richness  of  clothing 
or  variety  of  aspect,  will  be  but  a  short-sighted  policy. 

Around  the  sides  of  parks  or  paddocks,  any  smaller  planta- 

*  I  use  the  word  paddock  as  descriptive  of  a  small  field,  attached  to  the 
garden  and  in  view  from  the  house,  and  not  of  a  mere  enclosure  for  receiving 
horses,  deer,  or  other  animals. 


236  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

tions  may  be  composed  of  a  coarser  and  commoner  description 
of  plants  than  those  used  in  the  garden,  and  evergreens  need 
not  be  so  abundant.  The  common  Holly,  Yew,  and  Box  will  be 
the  most  appropriate  of  these,  and  Thorns  of  various  kinds  can 
be  freely  intermingled,  especially  the  common  one,  as  a  sort  of 
undergrowth.  Such  plantations  should  always  be  pretty  dense, 
with  a  lower  growth  of  the  commoner  shrubs,  to  give  richness, 
massiveness,  and  depth. 

Very  dressy  or  very  rare  and  exotic  plants  will  be  entirely  out 
of  character  as  specimens  in  a  park.  Ornamental  trees  that  are 
not  conspicuously  peculiar  may  be  admitted,  though  not 
liberally ;  and  scarcely  at  all,  if  they  flower  much.  White- 
blooming  Thorns  will  be  very  suitable  ;  but  not  scarlet  ones, 
unless  in  the  close  neighbourhood  of  the  garden,  and  double- 
blossomed  ones  on  no  account.  Shrubs  will  be  wholly  improper 
on  the  grass,  except  groups  of  common  Hollies,  where  they  will 
almost  adjoin  a  plantation,  and  such  bushes  as  the  common 
Hawthorn.  Bushes,  indeed,  where  there  is  any  extent  of  park 
land,  will  be  invaluable,  as  they  will  break  it  up  better  into 
glades,  and  destroy  the  monotony  which  trees  alone  are  apt  to 
produce,  on  account  of  the  latter  being  browsed  by  animals  to 
the  height  of  several  feet  from  the  ground.  By  way  of  con- 
tributing additional  furniture,  too,  patches  of  Furze  or  Broom, 
on  rising  slopes  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  will  often  prove 
most  effective ;  and  wild  heather  or  fern  may,  in  similar  places, 
be  permitted  to  grow,  so  as  to  remove  everything  like  excessive 
smoothness  and  tameness.  The  common  Juniper,  where  it  is 
indigenous,  in  chalky  districts,  will  sometimes  also  spring  up  in 
broken  tufts  about  a  park,  and  may,  with  careful  weeding  out, 
be  rendered  highly  ornamental. 

Where  bushes  exist,  moreover,  in  a  park,  they  should  on  no 
account  be  trimmed  at  the  base,  which  would  assimilate  them 
too  much  to  trees ;  but  their  branches  should  be  allowed  to 
spread  freely  down  to  the  ground,  that  the  eye,  in  glancing  over 
a  series  of  glades,  may  have  to  travel  round  the  bushes,  and 
that  thus  a  more  varied  and  inviting  range  of  views  may  be 


TREES  FOR  PARKS.  237 

offered  from  different  points.  Bushes  are  sometimes  very  use- 
ful, also,  when  sparingly  scattered  about  groups  of  trees,  in 
carrying  their  outlines  better  to  the  ground,  and  softening 
away  everything  like  abruptness  or  want  of  pliancy. 

The  kinds  of  ornamental  tree  that  are  most  admissible  into  a 
park  are  the  purple  Beech,  the  red-flowered  Horse  Chestnut, 
the  Scarlet  Oak,  the  deciduous  Cypress,  (where  the  ground  is 
at  all  moist,)  the  mountain  Ash,  the  common  Whitebeam,  and 
the  snowy  Mespilus.  Laburnums  might  be  added  at  the  outer 
edges  of  other  groups.  And,  among  evergreens,  the  evergreen 
Oak,  (Quercus  Ilex,)  and  all  the  commoner  species  of  the  Pine 
and  Fir  tribe,  will  be  entirely  in  place.  The  Scotch  Fir  and 
the  Austrian  Pine  are  particularly  worthy  of  use ;  the  first  of 
these,  when  it  becomes  old,  making  the  most  splendid  and 
diversified  groups.  The  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  too,  and  the 
Deodar  Cedar,  will  promote  an  expression  of  dignity  and 
refinement ;  and  the  Pinus  excelsa,  and  Abies  Douglasii,  will 
make  very  noble  specimens. 

To  form  and  plant  a  park  effectively,  requires  almost  greater 
care  and  attention  than  designing  a  garden ;  inasmuch  as  the 
trees  used  are  of  a  grander  character  than  the  plants  employed 
in  a  garden,  and,  if  placed  improperly,  become  more  offensive 
and  obstructive.  An  error  into  which  the  unpractised  commonly 
fall  is  in  making  the  whole  spotty,  by  the  too  liberal  insertion 
of  single  trees,  or  by  needless  interruptions  to  the  breadth  and 
continuity  of  glades.  The  glades  are  of  the  very  last  impor- 
tance, and  should,  from  the  house,  the  drive,  and  the  chief 
walks  in  the  pleasure  grounds,  be  extremely  unmistakeable  and 
decided,  although  their  edges  must,  like  those  of  the  glades  in 
the  garden,  be  most  irregularly  furnished.  Of  course,  the 
glades  in  the  pleasure  grounds  and  those  in  the  park  should 
unite,  and  continue  expanding  in  the  latter  till  they  reach  the 
boundary,  where,  by  means  of  a  low  fence,  or  of  only  small 
bushes,  they  must  be  carried  forward  into  the  more  remote 
distance. 

Single  trees  in  a  park,  however  beautiful  they  may  be  as 


238  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

individual  specimens,  ought  not  to  be  very  freely  multiplied, 
and  should  rather,  as  a  rule,  attach  themselves,  as  off-shoots, 
to  clumps  and  groups,  than  stand  entirely  alone.  It  is  masses 
of  trees,  varying  in  number  from  two  to  twelve  or  fifteen,  and 
exhibiting  the  most  irregular  arrangements  and  combinations, 
that  are  chiefly  suitable  for  parks.  And,  as  the  lower  branches 
are  generally  eaten  off  by  cattle,  the  disposition  of  the  stems 
or  trunks  often  enters  materially  into  the  character  of  the 
grouping.  Occasionally,  seven  or  eight  trees  of  the  same  kind, 
(as  the  Weeping  Birch)  planted  near  to  each  other,  though  at 
varying  distances,  will,  when  the  heads  are  thrust  out  by  the 
expansion  of  the  interior  trees,  cause  the  stems  to  become 
crooked,  and  to  assume  the  most  picturesque  outlines.  And 
such  a  group  would  have  the  happiest  effect  on  the  edge  of  a 
rough  slope,  or  on  comparatively  broken  ground. 

In  shaping  the  land,  too,  while  a  certain  amount  of  smooth- 
ness and  ease  are  desirable  in  the  ground  lines  where  they 
approximate  to  a  garden,  a  greater  degree  of  roughness  and 
irregularity  should  be  preferred  towards  the  outer  boundaries 
of  the  park,  thus  assisting  to  render  the  transition  from  the 
garden  to  the  land  beyond  as  gradual  and  as  gentle  as  possible. 

It  is  principally  of  consequence  to  regard  a  park  as  a  link 
between  the  dressed  parts  of  a  garden  and  the  wilder  and 
freer  characteristics  of  nature.  In  its  furniture,  therefore,  it 
should  assimilate  to  the  garden  about  the  parts  where  they 
unite,  and  with  the  more  general  features  of  the  country  towards 
its  outer  edges.  It  must  by  no  means  be  a  detached  and 
isolated  thing.  Nothing  in  Xature  is  so.  The  plantations  at 
the  bottom  of  the  garden  may  decidedly  run  into  those  of  the 
park  or  field,  and  be  extended  into  it  as  far  as  comports  with 
obtaining  proper  views  from  the  house. 

Indeed,  the  garden  and  the  mere  field  can  be  yet  further 
united  by  the  employment  of  a  shrubbery-walk  round  the  whole 
or  a  portion  of  the  latter.  Notwithstanding  the  charge  of 
affectation  so  freely  imputed  to  walks  of  this  kind,  because  they 
skirt  the  actual  boundary  of  a  small  place,  it  must  be  averred 


SHRUBBERY   WALKS.  289 

that  they  are  very  useful  in  affording  exercise  within  the 
private  domain,  and  in  presenting  the  garden,  house,  and 
exterior  country  in  more  varied  aspects.  In  relation  to  a  large 
park  even,  a  walk  may  often  appropriately  be  carried  for  some 
distance  along  one  or  more  of  its  sides,  or  be  directed  through 
some  of  its  woods,  esj^ecially  where  any  picturesque  natural 
elements,  such  as  rocks,  broken  ground,  or  steep  banks  exist, 
or  where  the  woods  adjoin  and  furnish  a  sheet  of  ornamental 
water. 

A  shrubbery  walk  should  be,  in  all  respects,  below  those  of 
the  garden  in  point  of  art.  The  curves  should  be  less  studied, 
the  margins  slightly  rougher,  and  the  material  of  an  inferior 
and  less  polished  kind.  The  keeping,  also,  should  be  decidedly 
less  perfect ;  the  dress  and  finish  of  the  garden  being  quite 
undesirable  here.  As  much  shade  and  shelter  as  possible 
should  be  attained  in  such  a  walk ;  but  it  must  not  be  without 
open  parts,  for  sunshine  and  views.  Here  and  there  a  seat  may 
be  placed  for  rest,  or  for  enjoying  a  prospect,  and  clusters  of 
common  Roses,  or  particularly  sweet-scented  flowers,  or  even 
patches  of  Strawberry  plants,  may  occasionally  be  put  in  to 
attract  persons  to  use  it.  Fruit  trees  may  often  be  used  in  its 
plantations  for  the  same  purpose.  Of  course,  like  the  garden 
walks,  it  should  break  away  from  the  boundary  fence,  as  freely 
and  irregularly  as  the  space  will  permit ;  and  it  is  by  no  means 
necessary  that  the  plantation  be  continuous,  as  the  walk  may 
pass  out  into  the  open  field  or  park  in  a  few  parts  for  variety. 

Advantage  should  be  taken  of  any  peculiarities  in  shrubbery 
walks  that  may  be  favourable  to  the  cultivation  of  particular 
tribes  of  plants,  that  the  walk  may  by  such  means  be  rendered 
more  interesting.  Indeed,  a  walk  of  this  description,  where  the 
locality  allows,  may  be  made  into  a  small  arboretum,,  in  so  far 
as  one  or  more  families  of  plants  is  concerned,  except  that  the 
specimens  should  not  all  stand  apart  and  alone,  but  be  dispersed 
through  the  fronts  of  the  ordinary  plantations,  and  now  and 
then  brought  together  into  groups.  A  very  pleasing  collection 
of  the  best  Coniferous  plants,  including  Cypresses,  Junipers, 


240  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

and  their  allies,  or  of  such  a  highly  useful  and  delightful  genus 
as  the  Holly,  or  of  Rhododendrons,  or  of  American  plants 
generally,  might  in  this  way  be  accommodated ;  and  would 
at  once  stamp  a  character  of  novelty  on  the  part  containing 
them. 

It  might  frequently  happen  in  such  a  walk,  too,  that  a  well- 
contrived  little  episode,  such  as  would  be  yielded  by  converting 
a  small  dell  or  hollow  into  a  rockery  or  an  American  garden, 
could  be  easily  accomplished.  Or  a  pond  for  the  use  of  the 
more  elegant  aquatic  birds,  or  for  the  growth  of  rare  water 
plants,  might  be  brought  into  notice.  Or  a  spot  by  the  side  of 
a  shrubbery  walk  might  be  selected  where  a  patch  might  be 
devoted  to  wild  natural  vegetation,  in  which  Briars,  Brambles, 
Thorns,  Honeysuckles,  Clematis,  and  other  picturesque  indi- 
genous plants,  could  be  allowed  to  assume  their  native  luxuri- 
ance, and  tangle  together  in  unrestrained  profusion. 

In  any  case,  the  sides  of  the  shrubbery  walk,  and  the  ground 
beneath  its  plantations,  can  always  be  appropriated  to  the 
growth  of  such  British  flowers  as  Violets,  Snowdrops,  Squills, 
Ficaria,  Primroses,  Lychnis,  Wood  Anemones,  and  other  showy 
or  early-flowering  species,  which  can  readily  be  induced  to 
carpet  the  ground  in  sufficient  masses  to  render  their  effect 
conspicuous  and  even  striking.  Ferns,  in  all  their  elegant 
variety,  may  also  sometimes  find  a  congenial  home  by  the 
sides  of  streams,  or  in  sheltered  dingles,  or  on  shelving  banks, 
that  are  brought  within  the  range  of  the  shrubbery  walk. 

To  enliven  a  park  or  a  paddock,  and  give  life  and  motion  to  a 
home  scene,  sheep  and  cows  may  be  freely  admitted.  Sheep  of 
the  larger  and  better  breeds  are  always  the  most  quiet,  and  crop 
the  grass  most  evenly,  and  are  less  disposed  to  injure  shrubs  and 
trees ;  such  as  have  been  reared  in  hilly  or  poor  districts  being 
exceedingly  wild  and  obj  ectionable.  Perhaps  the  Alderney  breed 
of  cows  will  be  the  most  beautiful  and  appropriate  in  a  small 
place.  Horses  and  colts  are  particularly  mischievous  where  they 
can  reach  the  branches  of  trees,  and  should  therefore  generally 
be  kept  out.    Deer  are  similarly  inclined  to  damage  trees,  and, 


ROOKERIES.  241 

when  they  are  admitted,  will  always  require  extra  fencing  to 
keep  them  from  young  trees,  and  to  prevent  them  from  straying. 

Another  element  of  liveliness  in  a  park,  and  one  which 
generally  becomes  an  object  of  attraction  to  its  possessor,  is  a 
rookery.  To  an  attentive  observer,  there  is  a  wonderful  amount 
of  beauty  in  the  motion  of  rooks  as  they  sail  gracefully  about 
in  the  air  on  a  calm  evening,  or  appear  to  grow  excited  with 
the  turbulence  of  the  elements  as  they  flit  across  the  A'ision 
against  a  stormy  background  of  sky.  But  a  rookery  should 
never  be  very  near  to  the  house,  as  the  noise  of  the  birds  is  only 
pleasing  when  subdued  by  distance.  Nor  should  it  be  in  a 
wood  that  is  traversed  by  walks ;  for  the  ground  beneath  their 
nests  is  kept  in  a  state  of  constant  litter  by  the  dead  twigs 
which  they  break  so  freely  from  the  trees. 

From  the  limited  size  of  these  pages,  it  is  obviously  im- 
possible to  illustrate  the  treatment  of  parks  of  any  magnitude. 
But  two  or  three  designs,  embodying  some  of  the  more  essential 
constituents,  may  now  be  given.  The  first  I  shall  present — 
necessarily  on  a  very  small  scale — is  a  plan  of  the  grounds,  and 
what  may  be  called  the  home  pasture,  of  an  entirely  new  place 
which  I  arranged  for  Charles  Longman,  Esq.,  in  1854-5.  It  is 
named  Shendish,  and  is  between  Hemel  Hempstead  and  King's 
Langley,  in  Hertfordshire.  The  house  and  homestead  have 
been  erected  on  the  summit  of  a  hill,  where  there  was  an 
excellent  platform  for  the  purpose,  and  from  whence  the  ground 
descends,  in  a  convex  form,  gently  at  first,  but  afterwards  more 
abruptly,  till  it  falls  into  a  valley  on  all  sides.  Unhappily,  the 
estate  had  been  sadly  denuded  of  trees  by  former  owners,  and 
a  good  deal  of  planting  has  therefore  become  requisite.  The 
position,  however,  commands  an  extensive  variety  of  wooded 
undulations,  both  in  the  middle  distance  and  the  distance ;  and 
the  great  desideratum  was  therefore  to  create,  within  and  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  pleasure  gardens,  a  suitable  and  suf- 
ficient foreground. 

The  engraving  (fig.  137)  will  evince  pretty  clearly  the  way 
in  which  this  has  been  accomplished.    The  house  is  approached 

11 


242 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


from  the  north-east  by  a  constantly  ascending  drive  of  about 
half  a  mile  in  length,  which,  after  crossing  the  London  and 


Fig.  137. 


PUBLIC  PATHS  ACROSS  A  PARK  243 

North  Western  Railway  by  a  characteristic  bridge  which  is  now 
(1858)  being  re-erected,  winds  up  a  natural  hollow,  with  the 
undulating  slopes  of  the  park  on  either  side,  till  it  passes  over 
a  sunk  public  footpath  by  another  appropriate  bridge,  (30,) 
and  enters  what  I  have  termed  the  home  pasture,  (29,)  traver- 
sing which  it  soon  after  reaches  the  enclosed  pleasure  grounds, 
and  thus  arrives  at  the  house,  stables,  &c.,  a  branch  to  the  west 
previously  separating  from  it,  and  skirting  the  home  pasture  on 
its  way  to  the  farm  buildings.  There  is  a  subordinate  drive, 
from  the  opposite  direction,  (24,)  which  conducts  to  the  house 
by  way  of  the  farm  road,  and  w7hich  is  chiefly  used  for  farming 
objects. 

As  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house  and  the  gardens  will  be 
further  represented  and  described  on  a  subsequent  page,  I  will 
confine  my  notice  at  present  to  the  home  pasture.  This  is  an 
area  of  about  twenty  acres,  and  is  detached  or  fenced  oif  from 
the  rest  of  the  place,  partly  for  grazing  purposes,  but  mainly 
because  it  is  bounded  to  the  north  and  east  by  a  public  foot- 
path, and  has  arable  land  beyond  it  to  the  south-east  and  south- 
west. The  footpath,  which  comes  from  a  north-westerly  direc- 
tion, formerly  crossed  the  middle  of  what  is  now  the  home 
pasture,  in  a  line  which  would  be  nearly  due  south.  There 
being  two  branches  to  the  path,  however,  as  seen  by  the  two 
parts  figured  33,  it  was  easy  to  divert  it  into  the  line  32  ;  and 
by  sinking  it  five  feet,  and  putting  a  wrall  (31)  on  the  side  next 
the  home  pasture,  a  capital  sunk  fence  has  been  obtained  for 
the  latter,  and  the  persons  using  the  footpath  are  not  observed 
from  the  house.  The  ground  being  well  sloped  away  from  the 
path,  too,  on  the  outer  side,  it  is  open  and  cheerful,  and,  being 
well  drained  and  formed,  is  really  a  boon  to  the  public  a8 
compared  with  an  ordinary  field  path. 

Public  footpaths  are  so  often  an  intrusion  upon  a  property, 
and,  in  the  general  estimation,  so  much  destroy  its  privacy 
when  they  pass  near  the  house,  that  it  may  be  useful  to  urge 
the  advantage  of  sinking  them  in  the  way  here  described,  and 
to  mention  the  process  by  wThich  alone  they  can  be  diverted. 


2U 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


The  law  relating  to  them  and  to  roads  requires  that  any- 
proposed  alteration  should  be  rendered  "  nearer  and  more 
commodious."  Due  notice  having  been  posted  about  the 
parish,  the  magistrates  of  the  district,  in  session,  will  always, 
if  the  above  conditions  are  complied  with,  and  the  residents  in 
the  parish  raise  no  objection,  grant  an  order  for  the  desired 
deviation.  But  where  the  improvement  in  the  line  or  in  the 
character  of  the  path  is  unquestionable,  and  no  other  pro- 
prietor's interests  are  compromised,  a  change  of  line  can  usually 
be  effected  without  any  legal  process. 

In  the  example  now  given,  the  sunk  wall  is  formed  of  flints, 
which  are  abundant  on  the  property ;  and  it  has  a  moulded 
brick  coping.  It  batters  about  a  foot  from  the  base  to  the 
top.  The  extent  to  which  it  is  carried  is  shown  by  the  thick 
lines,  and  blocks,  to  represent  piers,  by  which  they  are  ter- 
minated. And  it  gradually  becomes  shallower  as  it  reaches 
these  points,  a  strained  wire  fence  being  carried  from  thence 
round  the  rest  of  the  home  pasture,  the  plantations,  and  the 
pleasure  grounds. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  carriage-drive,  and  between  it  and 
the  farm  road,  the  larger  dots  represent  a  cluster  of  old  Elm 
trees ;  and  there  are  some  old  Sycamores  and  Elms  to  the  east 
of  the  drive,  near  the  figures  29.  All  the  other  plantations  and 
groups  are  new,  and  associate  with  those  in  the  pleasure-grounds 


PIER 


PIER 


f 

\J  SUNK    ROAD 

77,-' 

Fie.  138. 


to  compose  a  series  of  openings,  through  which  the  best  views 
of  the  country  are  obtained  from  the  house.  In  one  of  the 
plantations  near  the  sunk  wall,  north-eastwards  from  the  house, 


PARKS  AND  FIELDS.  245 

the  thick  curved  lines  point  to  a  bridle  road  between  the  home- 
pasture  and  the  foot-path.  The  section  (fig.  138)  also  represents 
the  way  in  which  the  foot-path  passes  under  the  carriage-drive 
at  30,  the  path  being  sunk  additionally  at  this  point,  and 
rendered  wider,  so  that,  if  necessary,  a  cart  may  be  taken 
beneath  the  viaduct. 

At  23,  the  existence  of  an  old  chalk-pit  is  made  to  conduce 
to  the  variety  in  the  place,  by  carrying  a  walk  to  it  from  the 
pleasure-grounds,  and  extending  this  walk  around  and  across 
the  excavation.  In  the  latter  case,  the  lines  of  walk  will  be 
more  broken  and  irregular  than  it  was  possible  to  show  on  the 
plan ;  and  the  whole  will  be  made  the  medium  of  displaying 
rugged  masses  of  natural  vegetation,  of  which  the  wild  Clematis 
(common  here)  will  be  a  conspicuous  feature. 

A  great  deal  of  earthwork  has  been  executed,  both  in  the 
pleasure-grounds  and  the  home-pasture,  by  reducing  in  some 
parts  and  raising  in  others,  to  assimilate  the  general  form  of 
the  land  to  that  which  is  beyond,  and  produce  an  easy  but 
positive  convexity  of  shape,  without  any  undulations  or  dips. 
From  the  conformation  of  the  surrounding  country,  this  ar- 
rangement became  a  matter  of  artistic  necessity,  without  which 
the  whole  would  have  appeared  trilling  and  artificial. 

Fig.  139  is  the  plan  of  a  small  place,  of  about  three  acres, 
at  Roby,  near  Liverpool,  belonging  to  Edward  Astley,  Esq. 
It  was  laid  out  by  me  in  1854,  and  the  house  (1)  was  erected 
from  the  designs  of  Mr.  E.  Christian,  of  London.  The  latter 
is  an  English  Gothic  structure,  built  of  undressed  stone.  There 
is  a  small  kitchen-court  at  2,  the  stable-yard  at  3,  the  stables, 
&c,  at  4,  and  a  path  from  these  last  to  the  field,  for  cows  or 
horses,  (which  require  to  be  led,)  at  5.  A  conservatory  is 
placed  at  6,  and  from  this  point  there  are  steps  down  to  the 
level  of  the  kitchen-garden,  (9,)  a  hothouse  (7)  and  a  garden- 
yard  (8)  being  on  this  lower  level,  while  a  tool-shed  and  pot- 
ting-shed  are  arranged  beneath  the  conservatory. 

The  ground  falls  rapidly  away  from  the  house  to  the  south- 
west and  south-east,  this  being  effected  by  a  natural  slope;  and 


246 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


at  10  a  decided  hollow  occurs,  which,  from  its  sheltered  position, 
and  from  being  within  the  range  of  some  of  the  principal  house- 


SCALE  or        FEET 


|0  SO    10  20  30  40  SO 

|-H— I— I— I — I— I— 


goo 


Fig.  139. 

windows,  is  reserved  for  mixed  flower-beds  and  beds  of  dwarf 
evergreens,  with  an  octagonal  basin  for  water  and  for  a  fountain. 


PARKS  AND  FIELDS.  247 

The  main  reason  for  introducing  this  plan  here,  however,  is  to 
exhibit  the  treatment  of  a  small  field,  (11,)  with  a  walk  round 
it ;  the  intention  being  to  furnish  the  field  sufficiently,  and  yet 
not  to  encumber  it  with  planting. 

From  the  nature  of  the  site,  the  views  from  a  little  east  of 
south  to  a  little  east  of  south-west  are  the  only  open  ones  that 
can  be  had ;  and  it  is  needful  partially  to  screen  off"  the  kitchen- 
garden,  and  to  fill  the  south  corner  of  the  field  with  planting, 
that  straight  lines  and  angles,  which  are  out  of  harmony  in  a 
field,  and  diminish  its  apparent  size,  may  be  duly  excluded. 
The  other  clumps  and  specimens  are  inserted  to  create  addi- 
tional glades,  to  diminish  the  previous  bareness,  and  to  aid  in 
composing  a  proper  foreground. 

There  is  an  old  Ash  tree  in  the  centre  of  the  circle  opposite 
the  entrance-porch  of  the  house,  and  an  Oak  on  the  lawn 
nearly  opposite  the  walk  from  the  garden-door  on  the  south- 
west side.  Another  old  Oak  tree  occurs  in  the  middle  of  the 
circular  walk  at  the  front  of  the  kitchen-garden,  and  a  similar 
one  behind  the  curve  in  the  wall  at  the  back  of  the  kitchen- 
garden.  For  all  other  explanations,  the  plan  itself  will  probably 
suffice. 

As  exemplifying  at  once  the  mode  of  arranging  a  small  park 
and  an  extensive  and  highly  diversified  shrubbery- walk,  fig.  140 
is  now  added.  It  is  the  plan  of  Underscar,  near  Keswick,  Cum- 
berland, which  contains  about  twenty-four  acres,  and  is  the  pro- 
perty of  William  Oxley,  Esq.  It  lies  immediately  at  the  base 
of  Skiddaw,  and  in  one  of  those  great  natural  recesses  of  the 
mountain  which  often  form  a  peculiarly  sheltered  and  eligible 
site  for  a  residence.  Skiddaw  itself  rises  precipitously  to  the 
north  and  north-east;  and  a  large  projecting  arm  (Latrigg) 
extends  round  the  eastern  side  ;  while  Dodd  Fell,  another  arm 
of  Skiddaw,  stretches  forward  to  the  north-west.  The  place  is 
therefore  open  only  to  the  south-east,  and  from  that  to  the 
westerly  points,  these  points  including  a  magnificent  prospect 
of  Derwentwater,  with  all  its  surrounding  mountains,  a  peep  of 
the  Helvellvn  range,  Lowdore  waterfall,  Borrowda!e,  Scawfell 


248 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


Pike,  the  vale  of  Newlands,  a  small  portion  of  Bassenthwaite 
Lake,  and  a  very  pleasing  view  of  the  town  of  Keswick,  distant 
about  a  mile  and  a  half.     In  addition  to  this,  the  woods  and 


Fig.  140. 

park-like  fields  around  Ormathwaite  Hall  join  on  to  the  property 
Just  below  it,  the  Hall  itself  being  quite  hidden  by  trees.     The 


PARKS  AND  FIELDS.  249 

chief  slope  of  the  land,  too,  is  to  the  south-west,  towards  Der- 
wentwater,  which  lies  about  two  miles  from  the  spot.  And 
some  idea  of  the  commanding  character  of  the  site  may  be 
given  from  the  fact  that  the  rise  in  the  ground  from  the  south 
corner  of  the  land  to  the  position  of  the  house  is  more  than 
150  feet. 

Although  no  description  can  adequately  represent  the  great 
variety  of  undulation  in  the  surface  of  the  land,  it  may  be 
stated,  generally,  that  besides  the  rapid  descent  to  the  south- 
west, there  are  three  considerable  depressions  or  valleys  also 
running  towards  the  same  quarter,  and  the  carriage-drive  winds 
up  one  of  these  in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  a  moderate  gradient, 
and  to  keep  out  of  sight  from  the  best  windows  of  the  house. 
Another  (and  by  far  the  most  characteristic)  of  these  hollows 
carries  a  beautiful  little  mountain-stream  partly  through  the 
place  and  partly  along  its  southern  margin,  all  the  lower  por- 
tion, from  the  point  wdiere  it  touches  the  boundary,  being 
overhung  by  a  picturesque  wood  belonging  to  the  adjoining 
property. 

No  situation  could  possibly  furnish  a  more  charming  oppor- 
tunity for  making  a  shrubbery-walk,  than  the  dingle  by  the 
sides  of  such  a  stream.  Its  natural  beauty  alone  invests  it 
with  considerable  attractions ;  and,  with  the  aid  which  art  can 
render,  it  may  be  made  doubly  interesting.  In  the  present 
case,  the  pleasure-grounds  proper  are  bounded  by  the  stream, 
and  a  walk  crosses  it,  and  passes  round  the  eastern  side  of  the 
place  through  an  elevated  plantation,  in  which  the  Pine  and 
Fir  tribes  are  freely  used,  and  where  there  are  many  rare 
specimens.  It  then  traverses  a  piece  of  open  pasture,  and 
enters  another  enclosure,  where  there  is  a  small  orchard,  from 
thence  descending  a  steep  wooded  bank,  by  rustic  steps,  and 
studded  with  rocks  and  roots,  till  it  rejoins  another  walk  from 
the  pleasure-grounds.  It  afterwards  pursues  a  winding  course 
down  the  valley,  now  approaching  and  following  the  stream, 
and  now  sweeping  away  from  it  around  masses  of  plantation, 
and  finally  having  exit  fi  om  the  place  at  the  south  corner,  in 


250  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

the  direction  of  Keswick.  By  the  use  of  rocks,  roots,  and 
appropriate  plants  in  many  parts  of  the  rugged  banks,  and  by  a 
profusion  of  Rhododendrons,  Hollies,  and  other  evergreens,  a 
constant  change  of  picturesque  scenes  is  attained,  and  the  whole 
is  materially  aided  by  Ivy,  Ferns,  climbing  Roses,  Honeysuckles, 
and  wild  plants.  There  are  three  small  rustic  bridges  over  the 
stream,  too,  in  the  course  of  the  walk,  and  a  narrow  branch  (not 
shown  on  the  plan)  breaks  away  from  the  main  walk  Avhere  the 
latter  diverges  farthest  from  the  hollow,  and,  straggling  along 
the  side  of  the  water,  in  a  deep  dell,  emerges  again  at  a  lower 
point.  On  the  whole,  although  the  plan  can  give  but  a  very 
meagre  notion  of  the  perpetual  play  and  liveliness  of  character 
in  this  part  of  the  place,  the  shrubbery-walk  here  may  be 
regarded  as  expressing  pretty  nearly  my  beau  ideal  of  what  a 
walk  of  that  description  should  be. 

To  return  to  the  arrangement  of  the  field,  (into  which,  how- 
ever, the  plantations  by  the  shrubbery-walk  conspicuously  enter, 
being  only  separated  by  a  slender  wire  fence,)  it  will  be  per- 
ceived that  the  place  is  partly  bounded,  on  two  sides,  by  a 
public  road;  but,  as  Mr.  Oxley's  land  extends  beyond  the  road 
at  several  points,  the  planting  is  so  contrived  as  to  assist  in 
uniting  the  outside  fields  with  the  principal  enclosure,  and  the 
fences  (which  are  hedges)  will  be  kept  low,  in  order  still  further 
to  aid  this  object.  The  house,  gardens,  and  homestead,  are  put 
at  the  upper  portion  of  the  land,  that  the  latter  may  appear 
larger  in  the  front  of  them,  that  a  greater  elevation,  and  con- 
sequently a  superior  prospect  may  be  obtained,  that  a  back 
road  to  the  house  and  offices  may  be  conveniently  made,  and 
because  this  part  of  the  place  fortunately  supplies  the  most 
available  platform  for  all  domestic  purposes. 

A  plan  of  the  gardens  and  grounds,  showing  the  relative 
position  of  their  various  departments  on  a  larger  scale,  will 
appear  in  another  part.  (See  fig.  189.)  The  principal  entrance 
is  placed  opposite  the  lower  field,  where  it  is  well  supported  by 
some  existing  Oaks.  From  the  comparative  shortness  of  the 
drive,  the  extremely  rural  character  of  the  district,  and  the  fact 


PAEKS   AND   FIELDS.  251 

that  the  road  to  Keswick  is  almost  a  private  one,  I  have  been 
happy  to  omit  an  entrance-lodge,  which  would  have  broken  up 
the  park-like  appearance,  and  the  seeming  connexion  with  the 
adjoining  property,  from  the  house,  and  would  have  been  quite 
incongruous.  A  plantation  to  the  north  of  the  entrance,  how- 
ever, serves  to  mask  the  outside  road  from  the  drive,  and  to 
shut  out  the  narrow  strip  of  opposite  land  which  does  not 
belong  to  the  place. 

The  upper  plantation  in  the  northernmost  field,  which  would 
appear,  on  the  plan,  to  want  placing  at  the  extreme  north 
corner,  has  its  propriety  and  necessity,  on  the  land,  by  being 
situated  on  a  very  elevated  swell,  the  ground  sloping  away 
from  it  to  the  north  with  great  rapidity,  so  that  the  northern 
boundary  is  quite  out  of  sight.  This  plantation  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  general  landscape  also,  as  seen  from  a 
distance,  there  being  nothing  but  bare  pasture-land  or  fell 
behind  it. 

2.  A  floicer-garden,  if  there  be  any,  or  flower-beds  where 
there  is  no  regular  garden  for  low  flowers,  should  be  situated 
on  the  warmest  and  "most  private  side  of  the  house,  and  front- 
ing the  drawing-room  windows.  Or  the  flowers  may  be  placed 
in  a  sheltered  and  sunny  corner  of  the  pleasure-grounds,  where 
a  wall  at  the  back  will  keep  them  warm  by  protecting  them, 
and  reflecting  the  sun's  heat,  as  well  as  make  them  more 
secluded,  and  furnish  the  means  of  growing  tender  climbers. 

The  beds  of  a  flower-garden  should  be  symmetrical,  and  fit 
nicely  into  each  other.  All  elaborate  figures  and  scrolls  are 
generally  undesirable,  as  they  tend  to  multiply  work,  and  cannot 
be  so  effectively  planted.  Beds  of  simple  shape,  in  which  no 
very  acute  angles  occur,  will  be  the  easiest  to  keep  in  order,  and 
will  exhibit  a  good  arrangement  of  plants  best.  Flower-beds 
ouo-ht  never  to  be  large,  or  it  will  be  inconvenient  to  attend  to 
them ;  nor  should  the  openings  between  them  be  very  narrow, 
lest  they  become  inaccessible,  or  the  plants  in  each  bed  be  in- 
sufficiently separated  from  those  in  the  others.  Grass,  evenly 
laid,  in  tolerably  broad  strips,  constitutes  the  most  effective 


252  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

division  between  flower-beds,  as  it  sets  off  the  colours  of  flowers 
best,  and  gives  greater  continuousness,  unity,  and  breadth 
to  the  whole.  Gravel,  with  box  or  stone  edgings  to  the  beds, 
will  not  be  unsuitable  for  some  styles  of  flower-garden,  espe- 
cially where  the  beds  are  large,  or  complex,  or  intended  to  be 
filled  with  mixed  plants. 

When  the  beds  of  a  flower-garden  are  separated  by  grass, 
they  may  be  furnished  with  masses  of  flowers  of  one  colour. 
And  this  arrangement  will,  in  general,  be  more  striking,  and 
more  consonant  with  Grecian  and  Italian  architecture.  Beds 
of  mixed  flowers  will  better  suit  the  irregular  shapes  of  purely 
English  gardening,  and  English  Gothic  buildings.  The  more 
formal  styles  appear  to  demand,  for  consistency,  a  similarly 
formal  arrangement,  and  a  more  brilliant  but  less  variegated 
display  of  colour. 

In  a  small  flower-garden,  laid  down  with  grass,  the  gravel 
walks  should  be  but  few.  They  may  either  surround  it  entirely, 
or  pass  along  only  two  of  its  sides,  or  be  down  the  centre 
merely.  Or,  if  somewhat  larger,  it  may  have  all  these  com- 
bined, and  one  across  the  middle  also.  A  circular  bed  in  the 
centre,  or  an  architectural  basin  for  water,  will  generally  pro- 
duce a  good  effect.  And  a  few  standard  Roses,  placed  about 
judiciously  in  small  circular  plots,  will  enliven  and  vary  it  in 
summer;  while  some  specimen  evergreens,  such  as  choice 
Rhododendrons  and  Irish  Yews,  similarly  disposed,  will  be 
equally  useful  during  winter. 

Flower-gardens  may,  by  a  happy  distribution  of  the  beds,  be 
adapted  to  almost  any  given  shape.  But  regular  figures,  such 
as  squares,  circles,  parallelograms,  or  ovals,  can  be  much  more 
pleasingly  and  readily  filled  up.  A  perfectly  flat  surface  is  like- 
wise far  preferable  for  them ;  and  if  they  slope  at  all,  it  should 
decidedly  be  away  from  the  house,  building,  or  wall  by  which 
they  are  accompanied.  If  placed  on  the  opposite  side  of  a 
hollow  or  depression  in  the  lawn,  however,  whether  natural  or 
artificial,  their  being  on  a  slightly  ascending  slope  would  be 
an  advantage,  as  it  would  exhibit  them  better.     They  will  be 


FLOWER   GARDENS.  253 

very  fit  and  elegant  appendages  to  a  detached  green-house,  or 
a  small  range  of  ornamental  plant-houses,  in  a  retired  part  of 
the  garden. 

It  should  ever  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  primary  object  of 
a  flower-gardeo  is  for  displaying  flowers,  and  that,  while  some 
degree  of  harmony  between  its  general  outline  or  the  form  of 
its  beds  and  the  style  of  the  contiguous  house  is  essential,  no 
amount  of  attention  to  these  will  atone  for  the  neglect  of  the 
more  important  consideration.  In  particular,  nothing  can 
justify  the  subordination  of  every  floral  element  to  the  exhibi- 
tion of  a  mere  pattern,  however  ingenious  or  tasteful  it  may  be 
in  itself.  For  a  flower-garden,  like  all  other  art-like  creations, 
should  invariably  be  what  it  professes  to  be. 

On  the  other  hand,  flower-beds  ought  never  to  be  scattered, 
as  it  were,  broadcast  over  a  lawn,  without  any  connexion,  or 
any  dependence  upon  each  other.  However  sparingly  they 
may  be  employed,  (unless  in  the  case  of  simple  circles,  which 
are  seldom  out  of  place,  or  of  a  few  running  beds  by  the  side 
of  a  walk,)  they  should  always  fall  into  some  regular  figure. 
And  though  the  variety  of  shapes  which  individual  beds  may 
be  made  to  assume  is  really  endless,  these  should,  as  a  rule,  be 
such  only  as  can  be  struck  out  with  a  line  or  a  pair  of  garden- 
compasses,  and  not  be  dependent  on  the  correctness  of  eye  in 
a  workman.  Hence,  long  vermicular  or  slug-like  beds,  or 
those  with  a  number  of  irregular  arms  or  lobes,  or  such  as  aim 
at  representing  a  heart,  a  crown,  an  animal,  a  family  crest,  the 
initials  or  letters  of  a  name,  or  any  similar  device,  may  have  a 
semblance  of  quaintness,  or  may  gratify  personal  vanity  or 
affection,  but  take  a  very  low  place  in  the  scale  of  art,  or  are 
altogether  out  of  its  range,  and  often  savour  of  affectation  or 
caprice. 

One  of  the  simplest  and  most  elementary  forms  of  flower-plot 
is  a  mere  group  of  beds,  occupying  the  centre  or  other  part  of 
a  lawn.  Fig.  141  represents  an  extremely  plain  arrangement 
of  this  description,  and  was  sketched  for  a  narrow  oblong  lawn 
in  a  suburban  garden,  the  house  being  at  the  northern  end  of 


25  \r  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

the  plot.     The  only  advantage  of  the  plan  is  that  the  beds  are 


Fie.  141. 


well  adapted  for  receiving  and  exhibiting  flowers,  and  that,  like 
the  garden  in  which  they  are  placed,  they  are  wholly  without 


Fig.   142. 

pretension.     Fig.  142  is  equally  simple  and  unpretending^  but 


FLOWER   GARDENS.  255 

the  beds  are  more  artistically  disposed.     Like  the  preceding 


Fig.  143. 
sketch,  it  is  fitted  for  almost  any  style  of  house.     And  it  will 


Li-lmTimiL 


10 


20 


30 


40 


50FT 


Fig.  144. 
be  observed  in  these  and  all  the  following  plans  that  special 


256 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


provision  is  made,  in  the  varying  sizes  of  the  "beds,  for  the 
accommodation  of  plants  of  different  natural  heights  and  habits. 
The  group,  fig.  143,  belongs  more  exclusively  to  the  Gothic 
style,  and  is  placed,  in  duplicate,  on  a  flat  grass  plateau  in  front 
of  an  early  English  residence.     It  differs  further  from  the  two 


Fig.  145. 


foregoing  ones  in  having  four  dwarf  evergreen  specimens  in- 
serted among  its  beds.  Probably  the  sharp  terminal  point  of 
each  of  the  four  larger  beds  might  be  cut  off  advantageously, 
with  an  inward  curve. 

A  still  higher  stage  of  design  is  reached  in  fig.  144,  which 
constitutes  the  flower-plot  in  front  of  a  Gothic  house  belonging 
to  George  Whitley,  Esq.,' at  Bromborough,  Cheshire,  and  stands 
on  an  open  lawn.  Of  the  specimen  plants,  which  are  here  more 
liberally  inserted,  1  isErica  multiflora,  2  Andromeda florilmnda, 
(an  invaluable  plant,  and  one  which  I  frequently  select  for  this 
purpose,)  3  are  hybrid  Rhododendrons,  and  4  hardy  Fuchsias. 
The  figs.  145  and  146  are  for  groups  on  two  sides  of  a  Gothic 


FLOWER-GARDENS. 


257 


house  at  Mossley  Hill,  Aigburth,  near  Liverpool,  occupied  by 
W.  Oxley,  Esq.  The  one  (145)  is  on  a  flat  terrace  platform, 
in  front  of  the  drawing-room  windows,  and  the  other  is  con- 
nected with  the  conservatory,  which  forms  the  projection  on 
the  right-hand  side  of  the  house  in  fig.  1 45.  Both  these  designs 
are  suitable  for  their  respective  situations,  or  for  any  similar 


Fig.  146. 

position,  and  are  of  varied  outline,  while  the  beds  are  easily 
filled. 

In  fig.  147,  the  design  is  more  elaborate,  and  some  of  the 
beds  are  larger,  and  take  a  freer  outline.  A  narrow  gravelled 
walk,  too,  connected  with  steps  from  the  drawing-room  win- 
dow, and  with  a  garden  door,  passes  among  the  flower-beds, 
and  gives  better  access  to  these,  without  greatly  cutting  up  the 
lawn.  The  specimen  plants  arc  dwarf  evergreens  (Rhododen- 
drons) and  half-standard  Roses,  and  the  beds  are  on  the  south- 
east side  of  the  house.  It  was  arranged  for  Alfred  Higgins, 
Esq.,  at  Woolton,  near  Liverpool,  in  the  autumn  of  1853,  the 
house  being  semi-Italian  in  design. 

The  small  flower-garden  which  follows  (fig.  148)  was  to  have 


Fig.  U1. 


260    .  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

accompanied  a  house  in  the  cottage  Gothic  manner,  designed 
but  not  erected  for  a  gentleman  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Maidenhead.  It  is  presented  here  as  an  appropriate  example  of 
Gothic  treatment ;  the  position,  (below  a  terrace-bank  (2)  about 
four  feet  high,)  the  general  octagonal  form,  the  shape  of  the 
beds,  and  the  copious  use  of  flower-vases,  (4,)  as  well  as  the 
fact  that  it  occurs  at  the  end  of  a  principal  walk,  and  is  near  a 
conservatory,  (1,)  and  does  not  break  up  the  lawn  from  the 
windows  of  the  house,  being  all  accordant  with  its  character. 
Of  the  other  figures  of  reference,  3  represents  stone  blocks 
and  vases  at  the  top  and  bottom  of  a  flight  of  steps,  5  are 
plants  of  the  tamarisk-leaved  Savin,  6  are  standard  specimens 
of  the  black-leaved  Laurustinus,  7  is  a  mass  of  evergreen 
shrubs,  to  cover  the  change  of  level  in  the  bank,  and  support 
the  steps,  8  are  standard  Rhododendrons,  and  9  masses  of 
choice  Rhododendrons. 

Fig.  149  includes  the  flower-garden  and  part  of  the  pleasure- 
grounds  which  I  had  executed  for  Samuel  Job,  Esq.,  Holme- 
field,  Aigburth,  near  Liverpool,  in  the  winter  of  1850-51.  A 
portion  of  the  house  is  shown  at  1,  and  the  bow  at  1  is  a  bay 
window  to  a  corridor,  the  dining-room,  drawing-room,  and 
library  being  on  the  south-west  front.  A  terrace-walk  (2)  ex- 
tends along  the  south-west  and  south-east  sides  of  the  house, 
and  is  joined  to  the  lawn  by  a  grass-bank  (3)  four  feet  deep. 
There  is  a  straight  walk  direct  from  the  terrace  to  the  flower- 
garden,  the  latter  being  quite  flat,  of  a  circular  figure,  open  to 
the  sun  and  the  field  on  the  east,  south,  and  south-west  sides, 
and  sheltered  from  the  north-west  by  the  house,  and  from  the 
north  and  north-east  by  masses  of  trees  and  evergreens,  though 
a  glade  to  the  extreme  north  admits  a  view  of  a  very  pleasing 
little  hollow  in  the  pleasure-grounds. 

Small  vases,  on  pedestals,  (4,)  alternate  with  circular  flower- 
beds on  either  side  of  the  walk  to  the  flower-garden,  and  with 
similar  beds  round  the  margin  of  the  large  circle ;  5  being 
reserved  for  a  basin  of  water,  which  might  also  receive  a  small 
fountain.     The  names  of  the  specimen  plants,  pointed  out  by 


SCALE     OF     FEET 
10         ft 10        20        30       40         50        60        70        SO       90         100 


Ki-.    11D. 


262 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


figures,  may  possibly  interest  some  reader,  and  are  therefore 
inserted. 


6.  Andromeda  floribunda. 

7.  Spiraea  Lindleyana. 

8.  Daphne  pontica. 

9.  Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

10.  Cotoneaster  microphyUa. 

11.  Weigda  rosea. 

12.  Tree  Ivy. 

13.  Weeping  Elm. 

14.  Yucca  glnriosa. 

15.  Yellow-berried  Holly. 

16.  Rtbes  sangui neum. 

17.  Ibex  balearica. 

18.  Erica  muVifiora. 

1 9.  Scarlet  Thorn. 

20.  Golden  Holly. 

21.  Cedrus  deodara. 

22.  Irish  Yews. 


23.  Aucuha  japonica. 

24.  Narrow-leaved  Alaternus. 

25.  Double  pink  Thorn. 

26.  Hodgins's  Holly. 

27.  Standard  weeping  Cherry. 

28.  Cryptomeria  japonica. 

29.  Silver-blotched  Holly. 

30.  Ilex  marginata. 

31.  Pernettya  mucronata. 

32.  Gaidtheria  shallon. 

33.  Rhododendron. 

34.  Yariegated  prickly  Holly. 

35.  Btrberis  aquifolium. 

36.  Ilea,  Madeirensis. 

37.  Aravcaria  imbricata. 

38.  Double  Furze. 

39.  Cupressus  macrocarpa. 


Holmefield  contains  about  twenty-four  acres,  and  is  agreeably 
situated  in  the  Aigburth  valley,  on  a  comparatively  private 
road,  and  with  views  of  the  bolder  parts  of  the  Welsh  hills  to 
the  south-west. 

The  great  peculiarity  of  the  succeeding  illustration,  fig.  150, 
is  that,  though  it  delineates  a  flower-garden  belonging  to  a  first- 
class  mansion,  it  is  entirely  shut  away  from  it,  and  adjoins 
the  kitchen-garden ;  being,  in  fact,  a  scene  purely  by  itself. 
And  this  circumstance  justifies  a  little  greater  freedom  of 
treatment,  in  the  introduction  of  rustic  ornaments. 

This  plan  was  made  in  1851  for  Sir  Edward  Smythe,  Bart., 
of  Acton  Burn  ell,  near  Shrewsbury,  under  the  direction  of  Lady 
Smythe.  The  flower-garden  is  approached  from  the  pleasure- 
grounds  by  a  curved  walk  among  masses  of  evergreens,  till 
the  point  1  is  reached ;  and  here  a  straight  walk  is  entered, 
beneath  a  rose  arch,  1.  The  walk  in  question  extends  along  a 
raised  terrace,  three  feet  higher  than  the  flower-garden  and  the 
kitchen-garden,  for  fully  three  hundred  feet,  and  is  supported, 
as  shown  in  the  figure,  by  an  avenue  of  flower-beds,  (3,)  with 


,]*iv-^--- 


SCALE      OF      FEET 

30  40 


Fi-     150. 


264  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

intermediate  specimens  (2)  of  alternate  dwarf  Standard  Roses 
and  Irish  Yews.  Scarlet  Geraniums  and  white  Verbenas  were 
intended  to  occupy  every  other  flower-bed  in  this  series ;  but 
the  arrangement  is  obviously  suscej:>tible  of  great  variation,  so 
long  as  the  colours  are  very  decided,  and  either  make  a  good 
contrast,  or  a  suitable  harmony.  The  walk  is  terminated  by  an 
alcove,  and  is  separated  from  the  park,  on  the  south  side,  by  a 
sunk  fence,  and  from  the  flower-garden  and  kitchen-garden  by  a 
terrace-bank  (16)  of  grass. 

Descending  the  steps  from  the  long  terrace  walk  to  the  centre 
of  the  flower-garden,  low  rustic  flower-baskets,  (4,)  with  a  flower- 
bed between  them,  flank  the  walk  to  the  greenhouse,  (10,)  which 
has  been  erected  against  what  was  the  old  kitchen-garden  wall, 
to  form  a  nucleus  around  which  the  flower-garden  might  be 
arranged.  The  greenhouse  is  a  span-roofed  structure,  and  has 
a  boiler  and  potting-shed  (11)  at  the  back,  with  a  garden  yard, 
12.  At  either  side  of  the  greenhouse,  the  wall  was  proposed  to 
be  plastered  or  otherwise  improved,  and  covered  with  orna- 
mental climbers ;  this  altered  part  being  stopped  by  piers,  (13,) 
and  a  portion  between  the  pier  and  the  kitchen-garden  masked 
by  evergreens.  There  is  a  large  plantation  at  the  back  of  the 
wall,  into  which  the  walks  at  13  would  enter,  and  become 
wood-walks.  At  14  there  were  to  be  trellised  or  rustic  gates, 
with  a  trellised  or  rustic  wooden  fence,  (15,)  to  be  coverd 
with  climbers,  for  shutting  off  the  kitchen-garden.  The  border 
(9)  is  for  choice  herbaceous  flowers  and  bulbs,  and  its  breadth 
is  relieved  by  specimens  (17)  of  Irish  Yew,  and  (18)  of  Lau- 
rustinus. 

In  the  flower-garden  itself,  some  diversity  is  produced  by 
rustic  flower-baskets,  (5,)  on  pedestals,  at  the  eight  corners,  and 
by  larger  low  rustic  flower-baskets,  in  the  middle  of  flower-beds, 
at  6.  The  specimens  (7)  are  hybrid  Rhododendrons,  and  those 
at  8  are  Fuchsia  gracilis,  or  other  hardy  kind. 

A  remarkable  and  interesting  historical  relic  exists  in  the  park 
at  Acton  Burnell,  in  the  shape  of  an  old  tithe  barn,  supported 
by  a  few  singularly  picturesque  Larches  and  other  trees ;  and 


FLOWER-GARDENS. 


265 


this  building  is  known  to  have  been  used  as  a  parliament  house 
by  Edward  I.,  during  his  wars  with  the  Welsh  in  1283. 


10     %      Q 
SCALE  OF  \t*~'-.  &d, 


Fi°r.  151. 


Fig.  151  indicates  the  mode  of  laying  out  a  small  nook  in 
the  grounds  of  Joshua  Fielden,  Esq.,  Stansfield  Hall,  near 


12 


266  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

Todmorden,  and  results  from  a  recent  extension  of  an  old 
Elizabethan  house,  placed  near  the  junction  of  the  two  pictu- 
resque valleys  which  unite  by  the  town  of  Todmorden.  The 
plot  is  at  the  north-east  end  of  the  house,  and  is  severed  from 
the  back  road  to  the  stables  by  an  ornamental  wall,  while  it 
is  bounded  on  the  north-east  by  rising  ground,  supported  by 
a  terrace-wall,  (3,)  which  is  adorned  with  vases,  on  piers.  The 
erection  of  this  wall  has  produced  a  terrace- walk,  (4,)  which  is 
about  four  feet  higher  than  the  platform  on  which  the  flower- 
beds are  placed ;  this,  again,  being  twenty  inches  higher  than 
the  general  lawn,  and  having  a  grass  bank  (2)  along  the  south- 
eastern side.  The  borders  (l)  are  for  climbing  plants  and 
flowers.  At  5,  there  are  flower-vases,  on  pedestals ;  and  6  is  a 
sun-dial.  The  specimens,  7,  are  of  Erica  midtiflora,  and  8  is  a 
bed  of  mixed  Heaths,  to  separate,  slightly,  the  two  parts. 
There  are  half-standard  Roses  (this  being  a  sheltered  corner) 
at  9,  Andromeda  floribunda  at  10,  with  beds  of  Hhododen- 
dron  ferrugineum  at  11,  and  of  JR.  hirsutum  at  12.  The  two 
larger  flower-beds  are  intended  to  accommodate  a  very  useful 
recent  expedient  in  bedding  out  plants,  and  to  receive  five 
different  sorts  of  flowers  in  each,  one  sort  being  put  in  either 
of  the  four  lobes,  and  one  in  the  centre.  If  the  colours  be 
happily  chosen,  and  the  plants  at  all  assimilate  in  habit,  such  a 
plan  is  much  more  telling  than  the  old  system  of  having  only 
one  kind  in  a  bed. 

For  a  secluded  flower-garden,  apart  from  the  ordinary  lawn, 
and  either  enclosed  by  shrubs  or  taken  out  of  the  north  side 
of  a  kitchen-garden  that  is  not  walled  in,  the  design,  fig.  152, 
may  possess  recommendations.  It  was  made  in  1 849  for  James 
Barratt,  Esq.,  of  Lymm  Hall,  near  Warrington. 

Lymni  Hall  is  an  ancient  Elizabethan  edifice,  partially  sur- 
rounded by  an  old  moat,  with  rising  ground  in  the  pleasure 
garden  and  field  on  the  south  side.  A  little  to  the  eastward  of 
the  south  front  a  dense  mass  of  Hollies  and  other  evergreens 
screens  off  the  kitchen-garden,  and  it  is  on  the  south  side  of 
this  plantation,  attached  to  the  kitchen-garden,  that  the  flower- 


10  s  o 


SCALE      OF     FEET. 

10  20 


30 


40 


Fie.  152. 


268  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

garden  now  under  notice  has  been  made.  It  is  connected  with 
the  lawn  by  a  grass  path,  through  the  screen  of  evergreens ; 
and  this  grass  path  (13)  passes  up  the  middle  of  the  flower- 
garden,  being  terminated  by  a  summer-house,  (1,)  which  is 
covered  with  climbing  Roses.  The  rest  of  the  walks  are  of 
gravel,  and  have  box-edgings,  differing  in  this  respect  from 
any  that  I  have  yet  described. 

At  2  there  are  garden-seats,  canopied  and  enclosed  with  Ivy, 
which  is  grown  on  a  wooden  trellis.  In  the  borders  3,  which 
are  devoted  to  Roses,  there  are,  at  regular  intervals,  alternate 
specimens  of  standard  and  climbing  Roses,  the  latter  being 
represented  by  the  larger  dots,  and  being  trained  to  poles,  and 
to  chains  hanging  between  these  in  the  form  of  festoons.  In 
the  circles  (4)  are  specimens  of  a  very  dwarf  and  compact 
variety  of  the  common  Juniper,  while  Fuchsias  occupy  the 
other  circles,  marked  5.  To  the  beds,  6,  were  assigned  different 
varieties  of  Verbena,  with  one  sort  in  each ;  but  they  could  of 
course  be  filled  with  other  kinds  of  plants  that  are  sufficiently 
dwarf.  The  whole  of  the  beds  7,  or  two-thirds  of  them,  were 
also  intended  for  mixed  flowers ;  though  they  could  all,  if  de- 
sired, be  retained  for  summer  flowers,  with  one  sort  to  a  bed. 
The  border,  8,  is  for  Violets  and  other  spring-flowering  plants ; 
and  the  opposite  border,  (13,)  for  Lilies  of  the  valley,  and  such 
things  as  prefer  more  shade.  There  is  a  border  strewn  with 
rocks  at  1 0,  for  Alpine  plants,  small  trailing  shrubs,  &c.  A 
Yew  hedge,  about  five  feet  high,  (11,)  encloses  the  garden  at 
the  east  and  west  sides ;  and,  on  the  south,  (12,)  is  a  Sweet- 
briar  hedge,  with  standard  Roses  in  it  at  regular  intervals. 

The  small  flower-garden,  fig.  153,  which  follows,  stands  on  an 
open  lawn,  the  ground  rising  towards  it  a  few  inches  on  all  sides. 
The  walk  leading  to  it  is  on  its  south-west  side,  and  the  house 
is  forty  or  fifty  yards  from  it  in  the  opposite  direction.  It  is  in 
the  pleasure  grounds  of  Wm.  Longman,  Esq.,  of  Chorleywood 
Place,  near  Rickmansworth,  Herts.  There  is  another  flower- 
plot  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  house,  immediately  under  the 
windows ;  and  the  reason  for  detaching  the  circular  group  now 


FLOWER-GARDENS. 


269 


represented  was  that,  on  the  north-west  side  of  it,  within  a  few 
yards,  are  four  of  the  largest  and  most  magnificent  old  Cedars 
of  Lebanon  that  are  to  be  found  in  this  country.  As  their 
branches  recline  on  the  lawn, 


in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 


Fig.  153. 

flower-beds,  it  was  found  that  the  colours  in  the  latter  were 
conspicuously  improved,  by  contrast,  in  summer,  and  that, 
altogether,  the  association  of  the  two  was  too  agreeable  and 
unique  to  be  foregone. 

But,  to  prevent  a  flower-garden  in  such  a  position  from  look- 
ing too  bare,  especially  in  winter,  and  to  cover  (at  least  partially) 


270  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

its  walks  from  the  house,  and  avoid,  as  much  as  possible,  any 
palpable  disturbance  to  the  continuity  of  the  lawn,  the  whole 
is  irregularly  framed  with  beds  and  specimens  of  such  low  ever- 
greens as  Cotoneaster,  Heaths,  Helianthemums,  Pernettya,  &c, 
and  with  this  broken  fringe,  it  does  not  apji>ear  at  all  out  of 
harmony. 

The  access  to  the  plot  is  by  a  branch  from  a  walk  which 
makes  the  circuit  of  the  pleasure-grounds,  or  by  crossing  the 
lawn.  In  the  centre,  approached  by  two  steps,  is  a  raised  plat- 
form, with  a  grassy  slope  around  it,  and  a  canopied  seat,  clothed 
with  Ivy  and  other  climbers,  on  the  top  of  it. 

Four  other  fine  Cedars,  of  equal  age  and  grandeur,  stand  on 
the  north-eastern  side  of  the  house  at  Chorleywood  Place ;  and 
a  broad  straight  walk  along  the  south-eastern  margin  of  the 
pleasure-grounds,  with  only  a  sunk  fence  and  occasional  patches 
of  shrubs  between  it  and  the  park,  is  more  than  a  hundred  yards 
long,  and  furnishes  the  most  delightful  views  of  the  richly- 
wooded  country  beyond. 

Another  kind  of  flower-garden,  in  two  sunken  panels,  is  pro- 
duced in  fig.  154,  which  is  a  plan  of  part  of  the  grounds  of 
Thomas  Johnson,  Esq.,  of  Halton  Grange,  near  Runcorn, 
Cheshire,  laid  out  by  me  in  1853-4.  The  house  (1)  is  Italian  in 
character,  and  was  built  from  the  designs  of  Mr.  Charles  Verelst, 
architect,  of  Liverpool.  It  is  well  supported  and  accompanied 
by  the  offices,  2.,  the  stable  buildings  on  either  side  of  5,  which 
is  an  archway  beneath  them,  and  the  conservatory,  8,  on  the 
other  side.  A  handsome  ornamental  wall,  with  piers  and  panels, 
likewise  connects  the  house  with  the  stables,  and  with  the  con- 
servatory, extending  beyond  the  latter  to  the  south-east  corner 
of  the  kitchen-garden,  and  from  thence  taking  a  lower  form,  as 
a  retaining  wall  to  a  bank  of  earth,  until  it  terminates  in  a 
recess,  10,  Avhere  a  seat  gives  its  finish  to  a  long  walk  by  the 
south  front  of  the  house. 

The  yards,  3  and  4,  are,  respectively,  the  kitchen-court  and 
the  stable-court,  and  there  is  a  spacious  garden-yard  at  20. 
Two  vineries,  6,  stand  on  either  side  of  a  greenhouse,  7,  which 


Figr.   154. 


272  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

is  for  supplying  the  conservatory  with  flowers ;  and  the  three 
are  placed  in  the  kitchen-garden,  11,  to  which  there  is  an  out- 
side slip,  12.  From  13  to  19  is  a  series  of  garden-sheds,  13 
being  for  potatoes  and  roots,  14  for  mushrooms,  15  for  tools 
and  a  boiler-house,  16  an  open  shed,  17  a  potting-shed,  18  a 
fruit-room,  and  19  a  seed  and  onion  room. 

Without  injuring  the  view  from  the  dining-room  windows, 
which  are  to  the  north  of  the  entrance  porch,  or  making  an 
awkward  branch  road  from  the  house  to  the  stables,  the  drive 
could  not  have  approached  the  house  otherwise  than  at  a  right 
angle;  and  by  having  an  ample  carriage  sweep,  this  is  not 
found  practically  inconvenient.  It  is  certainly  much  more 
effective,  too,  as  regards  the  arrangement  of  the  roads  and  walk, 
than  any  other  treatment  would  be.  The  library,  drawing- 
room,  and  morning-room  have  their  windows  to  the  south ;  and 
the  latter  has  an  eastern  window  also,  over  the  fire-place,  which 
looks  on  to  the  flower-garden,  and  takes  in  Halton  Castle,  a 
ruin  on  a  rocky  eminence  in  the  neighbourhood. 

A  row  of  flower-beds  along  the  south  front  of  the  house,  and 
others  of  the  same  character  opposite  the  flower-garden,  join 
the  latter  more  thoroughly  to  the  house,  while  the  conservatory 
forms  its  central  background.  At  each  corner  of  the  two  com- 
partments of  the  flower-garden,  is  a  small  upright  vase,  on  a 
pedestal,  and  in  the  two  centres  are  two  other  larger  vases,  of 
a  flatter  shape,  on  pedestals,  with  a  still  larger  one  to  stop  the 
middle  walk  at  9.  All  these  are  for  containing  summer  flowers. 
1  he  two  areas  of  the  flower-garden  are  sunk  two  feet,  with  a 
sloping  grass  bank  round  the  margin,  and  there  are  four  dwarf 
specimen  evergreens  in  each.  The  flower  border  on  either 
side  of  the  conservatory  has  also  six  evergreens  (Laurustinus) 
in  it,  and  the  wall  behind  is  wired  for  choice  climbers. 

Some  gardens  do  not  admit  of  the  introduction  of  anything 
like  a  regular  flower-garden,  and  for  these  circular  flower-beds, 
whether  arranged  formally  or  dotted  about  near  the  swells  of 
the  clumps  of  shrubs,  are  peculiarly  available.  An  example  of 
the  first  variety  of  this  class  occurs  in  the  garden  of  Edward 


'^ilHIilHiiiiiilH^iisiiSiilii'iiii'iil!.  IB 


Fig.  155. 


274  SPECIAL    DEPARTMENTS. 

Walker,  Esq.,  Chester,  where  I  have  endeavoured  to  give  some 
degree  of  symmetry  to  an  irregular  piece  of  ground,  and  to 
effect,  by  round  flower-beds,  the  due  enlivenment  and  variega* 
tion  of  the  lawn. 

The  house  being  at  1,  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  lawn  is  on 
the  north  side  of  it ;  consequently,  the  flower-beds  could  not 
be  brought  near  the  windows.  In  order  to  terminate  the 
garden,  and  separate  it  better  from  the  kitchen  garden,  6,  as 
well  as  to  give  more  meaning  to  the  rows  of  flower-beds,  and 
to  obtain  a  suitable  position  for  a  greenhouse,  it  was  projected 
to  put  the  latter  at  2,  on  a  raised  platform  2  ft.  high,  with  a 
shed  (3)  for  the  heating  apparatus  at  the  back,  and  a  grass 
terrace  bank  (4)  round  the  three  front  sides.  A  series  of 
flower-beds  would  extend  around  this  bank. 

In  the  middle  of  the  lawn,  there  is  a  small  circular  basin  of 
water,  (5,)  with  a  stone  rim,  and  adapted  for  a  quiet  fountain. 
The  slope  of  the  lawn  is  chiefly  to  the  north,  but  this  does  not 
amount  to  more  than  three  or  four  feet  in  the  entire  length. 
A  few  good  forest  trees,  principally  Beech  and  Lime,  mingle 
with  the  shrubs  on  either  side.  And  there  is  a  choice  variety 
of  evergreen  shrubs  in  the  place,  including  a  large  number  of 
Rhododendrons,  which  impart  considerable  richness  and  beauty 
to  the  garden  when  they  are  in  flower. 

From  figs.  156  to  159,  inclusive,  an  idea  or  two  may,  perhaps, 
be  gleaned  as  to  the  regulation  of  small  flower-plots  with  a 
formal  outline.  The  two  first  are  designed  to  accompany  a 
house  in  the  Tudor  or  Elizabethan  style.  Fig.  156  might, 
indeed,  be  cut  upon  a  lawn  ;  but  would  be  better  adapted  for 
gravel  divisions  and  box  edgings.  Fig.  157  is  meant  to  have 
the  bcxls  edged  with  stone,  and  to  be  placed  in  the  recess  or 
other  compartment  of  a  terrace.  In  the  sketch,  fig.  158,  an 
attempt  is  made  to  fill  in  the  outline  of  a  shield  with  flower- 
beds, and  this  must  be  taken  merely  as  a  hint  of  what  might 
possibly  be  done,  with  a  little  ingenuity,  in  the  way  of  embody- 
ing heraldic  devices,  or  some  of  the  elements  of  family  arms,  in 
small  isolated  flower-gardens.     Fig.  159,  finally,  represents  a 


FLOWER   GARDENS. 


275 


group,  on  grass,  with  shrubs  inserted  in  some  of  the  beds. 
These  shrubs  might  be  such  erect-growing  kinds  as  Irish  Yews, 


Fig.  156. 
or  Irish  Junipers,  or  they  might  be  standard  Roses,  or  standard 


Fig.  157. 

p'ants  of  Cotoneaster  microphylla  or  Taxus  adjyressa,  or  they 
might  even  be  bushy  evergreens,  as  Rhododendrons,  or  some 


276  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

choice  kind  of  Holly  trimmed  into  a  regular  shape,  or  any  other 


Fig.  158. 

bush  that  would  not  be  damaged  by  the  surrounding  flowers 
in  summer. 


Fig.  159. 

Much  may  be  done,  by  way  of  giving  increased  variety  to 
flower-gardens,  by  dividing  up  the  beds,  where  they  are  capable 


FLOWER   GARDENS.  277 

of  division,  into  concentric  zones  or  other  regular  segments,  at 
the  time  of  planting,  and  putting  only  one  sort  of  flower  in  each 
part.  The  separating  lines  may  either  be  marked  by  appro- 
priate bars  of  wood,  or  only  by  the  plants  themselves.  Or  a 
large  bed  may  be  allocated  into  small  parts,  like  a  mosaic  pave- 
ment, and  a  certain  number  of  plants  be  placed  formally  in  each 
square  or  segment,  taking  care  to  keep  the  colours  judiciously 
harmonised  and  blended.  Or  plants  of  three  or  four  suitable 
colours  may  be  placed  promiscuously  in  some  of  the  beds. 

In  these  and  a  variety  of  similar  ways,  a  pleasant  change  from 
the  usual  style  of  bedding  can  often  be  brought  about,  and  the 
monotonous  repetition  of  the  same  method  of  arrangement, 
year  after  year,  be  readily  escaped  from. 

3.  Persons  who  have  a  fancy  for  a  rock  or  fern  garden,  will  do 
well  to  keep  it  somewhere  in  the  back-ground,  and  not  in  sight 
from  the  windows  of  the  house  or  the  principal  parts  of  the 
lawn.  It  may  be  made  very  interesting  if  thus  secluded,  and  be 
approached  from  the  main  walk  of  the  garden,  through  a  rustic 
arch,  mantled  with  climbers,  or  by  a  kind  of  narrow  winding 
passage,  canopied  and  darkened  with  evergreens.  Masses  of 
rockery  may  even  be  placed  fronting  the  chief  line  of  walk,  at 
some  distance  from  the  house,  where  a  good  dense  screen  of 
planting  can  be  interposed  between  them  and  the  .lawn,  or 
where  they  can  be  made  to  look  as  if  they  were  naturally  crop- 
ping out  of  a  bank.  Or  they  can  be  employed  as  a  sort  of  rustic 
basement  to  a  building.  To  grow  ferns  upon  them,  the  shade  of 
trees,  or  some  other  objects,  will  be  indispensable ;  but  many 
rock  plants  prefer  an  open  sunny  situation,  so  that  rockeries 
should  not  be  entirely  shaded.  If  accompanied  with  a  small 
pool  of  water,  having  a  broken  rocky  margin,  a  few  of  the  rarer 
aquatics  and  sedgy  plants  may  be  grown,  and  gold  fish  can  be 
cherished.  The  moisture  exhaled  from  such  a  piece  of  water 
would  be  very  beneficial  to  many  rock  plants;  and  the  jutting 
pieces  of  stone,  or  overhanging  shrubs,  would  afford  shelter,  and 
privacy,  and  shade,  to  the  fish.  Where  a  clear  running  stream 
can  be  turned  through  a  rockery,  and  be  expanded  into  a  pool, 


278  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

trout  may  also  be  preserved  in  the  latter;  and  if  there  be  water 
enough  to  dash  down  a  miniature  rocky  ravine  in  the  shape  of 
a  cascade,  another  characteristic  accessory  will  be  added. 

Rockeries  should  be  formed  as  much  as  possible  of  natural 
materials.  All  the  products  of  art,  such  as  fused  bricks,  scoriae, 
and  the  far  more  vulgar  constituents  with  which  such  ornaments 
are  often  constructed  about  towns,  are  nearly  if  not  quite  incom- 
patible with  any  amount  of  rusticity.  And  this  last  should  be 
the  distinguishing  element  of  all  rockeries. 

As  in  the  material  employed,  so  also  in  the  mode  of  construc- 
tion followed,  rockeries  should  be  conspicuous  for  a  natural 
character.  No  appearance  of  art,  and  no  approach  to  the  regu- 
larity or  smoothness  proper  to  works  of  art,  will  be  at  all  in 
place  here.  On  the -contrary,  the  surface  of  the  Avhole  cannot 
be  too  irregular,  or  too  variedly  indented  or  prominent.  An 
additional  projection  must  be  given  to  some  of  the  parts  by 
moderate-sized  bushes,  or  short-stemmed  weeping  trees.  Ever- 
green shrubs  or  low  trees  will  be  particularly  useful.  Provision 
will  therefore  have  to  be  made,  in  the  placing  of  the  stones,  for 
planting  a  few  shrubs,  and  a  greater  number  of  herbaceous  rock 
plants  in  their  interstices,  which  should  be  left  broader  or 
smaller  according  to  the  size  of  the  plant  that  may  be  required 
in  them.  No  rockery  will  ever  be  interesting  unless  well  sup- 
plied with  all  such  fittings. 

For  ordinary  practice,  the  materials  of  which  a  rockery,  how- 
ever small,  is  formed,  should  lie  on  their  broadest  or  flat  sides, 
and  not  be  set  on  edge,  much  less  be  placed  with  their  points 
upwards.  Little  deviations  may  occasionally  be  allowed  for 
variety ;  but  the  mass  will  have  more  appearance  of  solidity 
and  strength,  and  be  more  accordant  with  nature's  teachings,  if 
each  piece  be  laid  flat,  with  the  outer  edge  shading  a  little 
downwards  rather  than  upwards. 

A  rock  garden  may,  if  its  size  demands  it,  be  traversed  or 
made  more  generally  accessible  by  very  narrow  walks,  just 
capable  of  admitting  one  person.  These  need  not  be  of  any 
uniform  width,  and  should  have  no  regular  margin.     They 


ROCK  AND  FERN  GARDENS.  279 

may  be  made  of  some  quiet-coloured  material,  and  not  covered 
with  dressed  gravel ;  the  mere  stones  of  which  the  rockery  is 
composed  forming  the  best  possible  paths,  if  they  are  tolerably 
flat. 

Any  great  elevation  should  never  be  sought  in  small  rock- 
eries. This  would  both  be  inconsistent  with  their  breadth,  and 
would  render  them  too  prominent  and  artificial.  They  should 
not  be  carried  higher  than  the  point  at  which  they  can  be  well 
supported  and  backed  with  a  broad  mass  of  earth  and  vegeta- 
tion. Additional  height  may  sometimes  be  given,  if  desired, 
by  excavating  into  a  hollow  the  base  from  which  they  spring. 
An  old  quarry  will  supply  the  foundation  of  an  excellent  rockery, 
in  which  considerable  height,  relatively  to  the  bottom,  may  be 
attained,  and  much  of  boldness.  It  should  be  seen,  however, 
that  in  working  it,  masses  of  rock  be  merely  wrenched  or  blasted 
off,  in  the  most  irregular  manner,  and  no  sawing  or  cutting  to 
an  even  face  be  anywhere  permitted.  Extreme  ruggedness  of 
surface  is  what  would  be  most  characteristic  in  such  a  situation. 

No  collection  of  rocks  should  ever  begin  or  end  abruptly,  but 
should  gradually  die  away  into  the  adjoining  ground,  by  means 
of  a  few  carelessly  scattered  groups  or  single  masses  of  stone. 
Attention  to  this  point  will  mark  the  difference  between  the 
practised  and  the  unobservant  artist,  and  will  exercise  a  great 
influence  over  the  whole  composition. 

Shrubs  with  trailing  habits,  evergreens,  and  a  few  of  the  less 
delicately  branched  weeping  kinds,  and  those  which  assume  a 
wild,  and  ragged,  and  picturesque  character,  are  most  congenial 
to  rockeries.  The  first  class,  especially,  including  the  Ivy,  the 
Savin,  Cotoneaster  micropliylla,  Berberis  empetrifolia,  Peri- 
winkles, Common  Heaths,  &c,  always  seem  in  place  and  at 
home.  And  the  more  decided  climbers,  such  as  Clematis,  the 
Hop  plant,  'Wistaria  sinensis,  some  of  the  better  sorts  of 
Bramble,  the  Ayrshire  Roses,  Virginian  Creeper,  and  several 
others,  would,  if  suffered  to  scramble  over  the  bolder  parts  of 
rockeries,  and  duly  pruned  and  regulated  so  as  not  to  smother 
things  of  more  value,be  most  important  and  engaging  accessories. 


280  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

Among  evergreens,  probably  some  of  the  most  suitable  are 
the  green-leaved  Hollies,  particularly  Hodgins's  Holly,  Box, 
Arbutus,  JPinus  pumilio,  Jimiperus  recurva,  Yuccas  in 
groups,  Rhododendrons,  and  common  Junipers.  And,  if  the 
space  permits,  the  Yew,  the  Hemlock  Spruce,  the  Scotch  Fir, 
the  Pinus  austriaca  and  laricio,  the  Stone  Pine,  the  black 
Spruce,  and  the  Deodar  Cedar  are  most  valuable. 

Grass  never  harmonises  well  with  rocks,  if  brought  into 
immediate  contact  with  them.  They  demand  the  adjunct  of  a 
rougher  and  less  polished  vegetation,  such  as  attends  them  in 
a  state  of  nature.  Common  moor  heath,  whortle-berry,  &c, 
cut  into  sods,  and  laid  with  a  broken  line  along  the  margin  of 
rocks,  and  interspersed,  in  parts,  with  the  dwarfest  trailing 
evergreens,  will  give  a  beautifully  rustic  finish,  and  may  be 
particularly  valuable  in  connecting  the  rocks  with  any  dressed 
grass  beyond.  Everything  like  a  perceptible  or  continued  line 
(much  more  a  curved  line)  must  be  distinctly  avoided  in  the 
appropriation  of  such  materials.  They  should  join  the  grass 
in  the  most  jagged  and  inartificial  manner. 

Rockeries  can  be  made  to  answer  one  or  two  simple  purposes, 
which  will  impart  meaning  and  spirit  to  them,  and  prevent 
them  from  becoming  the  expressionless  and  pointless  things 
which  they  usually  are.  Where  there  are  raised  banks  between 
one  part  of  a  garden  and  another,  rocks  can  be  employed  to  face 
the  more  private  side  of  them,  and  will  contribute  to-  their 
solidity,  at  the  same  time' that  they  increase  their  propriety 
and  interest.  If,  again,  a  walk  be  cut  through  a  bank,  rocks 
may  be  used  to  hold  up  the  sides  of  the  opening,  when  steep. 
Or  where  a  walk  travels  along  a  narrow  hollow  between  two 
banks,  the  slopes  of  the  banks  can  be  partially  covered  with 
masses  of  rock.  In  both  these  last  cases,  an  imperfect  imita- 
tion of  a  small  defile  will  be  produced,  and  may  be  made  very 
consistent  and  natural.  The  plan  will  be  particularly  serviceable 
where  the  hollow  has  to  be  made  as  narrow  as  possible,  and  the 
banks  have,  consequently,  to  be  kept  pretty  upright.  At  any 
rate,  such  an  arrangement  will  be  infinitely  preferable  to  having 


ROOT   GARDENS.  281 

mere  heaps  of  stones,  thrown  together  without  any  apparent 
object  beyond  the  simple  creation  of  the  mass. 

In  localities  where  stone  is  not  easily  procured,  or  where  it 
abounds  so  much  that  the  use  of  another  material  would  be 
preferable,  for  the  sake  of  variety,  the  nigged  stumps  or  roots  of 
old  trees  may  be  substituted,  and  will  yield  quite  as  much 
picturesqueness.  Indeed,  when  the  partially  decayed  and  con- 
torted trunks  of  aged,  pollarded,  or  deformed  oaks  have  been 
rooted  out,  they  may  sometimes,  from  their  length,  be  thrown 
into  bolder  and  more  varied  forms  than  could  be  attained  with 
any  ordinary  stones;  and  if  used  as  the  supports  of  climbers,  or 
their  cavities  converted  into  nests  for  trailing  plants,  they  may 
be  made  to  produce  the  happiest  combinations. 

There  is  an  admirable  example  of  the  account  to  which  old 
roots  and  stumps  may  be  turned  in  sustaining  and  rusticating 
banks,  to  the  north  of  the  Railway  Station  in  the  Crystal 
Palace  gardens  at  Sydenham.  From  the  position,  (which  is  a 
quiet  and  shaded  part  of  the  grounds,  and  beneath  a  cluster  of 
the  few  fine  Oaks  that  remain  to  remind  us  of  the  departed 
sylvan  honours  of  Penge  Wood,)  and  the  actual  construction, 
and  the  clothing  of  this  bank  of  roots,  some  truly  excellent 
lessons  on  the  subject  may  be  derived. 

4.  Roses,  which  are  favourites  with  everybody,  may  be  fitly 
collected  into  a  small  separate  garden,  which  will  then  be 
denominated  a  rosery.  Like  the  rock-garden,  or  the  private 
flower-garden,  the  rosery  should  be  detached,  away  from  the 
general  lawn,  and  in  some  side  nook,  severed  from  the  rest  of 
the  garden  by  a  partial  screen  of  shrubs.  It  can  only,  of 
course,  find  a  place  in  gardens  of  medium  and  larger  size. 
From  very  limited  plots-,  it  must  necessarily  be  excluded. 

As  with  the  flower-garden,  the  rosery  requires  to  be  sheltered 
(not  shaded)  and  sunny.  And  there  is  the  more  reason  for  it 
to  be  in  a  retired  part,  because  it  is  very  uninteresting  during 
the  winter  season.  It  should  be  of  some  regular  shape,  with  the 
beds  tolerably  bold  and  simple  in  their  outlines.  Very  narrow 
parts  in  beds,  or  acute  corners,  would  be  nearly  useless,  and 


282  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

look  extremely  meagre,  because  few  plants  could  be  inserted  in 
them,  and  these  would  cover  the  ground  but  imperfectly.  At 
the  same  time,  the  beds  ought  not  to  be  much  broader  than 
will  allow  the  centre  of  them  to  be  reached  pretty  easily  from 
either  side.  And  they  should  have  divisions  of  grass  or  gravel 
from  three  to  four  feet  in  breadth  ;  as  the  admirers  of  Roses 
always  want  to  go  among  them  comfortably,  to  examine  and 
attend  to  them,  or  pluck  individual  flowers.  Grass  will  always 
look  better  than  gravel ;  and  when  it  is  used,  there  will  not  be 
more  than  one  or  two  cross  walks  of  gravel  and  an  encircling 
one  necessary. 

Perhaps  the  best  shape  for  a  rosery  is  a  circle,  or  a  square 
on  which  a  circular  pattern  is  laid,  or  an  oblong  figure  rounded 
at  the  ends,  or  an  octagon.  A  good  form  for  the  beds  will 
be  oblong,  with  the  ends  rounded,  arranged  in  various  sizes 
round  a  central  circle,  and  diversified  by  a  mixture  of  smaller 
circles. 

Since  Roses  are  very  similar  in  height  and  character,  a  rosery 
filled  with  only  the  dAvarf-growing  kinds  will  be  comparatively 
tame  and  monotonous.  But,  with  the  aid  of  standards  of 
various  heights  and  habits,  and  climbers  trained  to  poles,  much 
interest  and  variety  of  outline  maybe  produced.  These  auxilia- 
ries should  not,  however,  be  commonly  put  in  the  beds,  (save 
a  single  climber  or  a  cluster  of  them  in  the  central  mass,)  but 
stand  by  themselves  in  little  circles  prepared  purposely  for 
them,  and  arranged  symmetrically,  as  parts  of  the  plan.  Some- 
times a  very  strong  and  brilliant  effect  may  be  occasioned  by 
having  a  few  small  beds  filled  with  Roses  of  only  one  colour. 
And  a  rosery  may  even  be  altogether  furnished  by  assigning 
each  tribe  to  particular  beds,  in  corresponding  parts  of  the 
garden.  White  and  blush  Roses  make  a  good  mass,  as  do  those 
which  have  the  colour  of  the  common  moss  Rose,  and  particu- 
larly the  dark-flowering  Chinas,  which  bloom  so  long,  and  group 
together  so  admirably. 

Covered  archways  made  of  wire,  or  small  open  temples  formed 
of  either  wire  or  rough  wood  with  the  bark  on,  will  sometimes 


ROSE  GARDENS.  283 

be  interesting  features  in  a  rosery,  for  the  support  of  climbing 
kinds.  To  be  able  to  sit  in  the  shade  during  summer,  em- 
bowered with  only  elegant  Roses,  is  certainly  a  luxury  of  no 
mean  or  ordinary  description. 

Another  desirable  adjunct  to  a  rosery,  and  one  which,  so  far 
as  my  knowledge  extends,  has  not  yet  been  anywhere  adopted, 
would  be  a  Rose-house.  This  should  be  a  light  span-roofed 
structure,  glazed  nearly  to  the  ground  at  the  sides,  with  ample 
facilities  for  ventilation,  and,  if  possible,  the  power  of  heating 
it  occasionally  in  winter.  The  Tea-scented  and  other  tender 
kinds  of  Rose  might  be  planted  out  in  beds  in  such  a  house, 
and  pillars  or  light  iron  arches  would  afford  the  means  of  sup- 
porting the  more  valuable  climbing  sorts.  Houses  of  this  class, 
in  fact,  are  not  now  unfamiliar  to  cultivators,  and  are  in  the 
highest  degree  remunerative  in  regard  to  yielding  enjoyment. 
But  they  want  to  be  applied  to  a  decided  rosery,  where  they 
wTould  be  singularly  harmonious  and  apposite. 

A  plan  of  a  rosery,  embracing  the  appurtenance  just  named 
and  other  peculiar  accompaniments,  has  already  been  casually 
given  at  p.  186.  Two  additional  designs  will  be  found  incor- 
porated in  figs.  176  and  188,  where  their  situation  and  general 
arrangement  will  be  duly  indicated.  I  shall  therefore  simply 
present  here  two  further  sketches,  in  which  there  is  a  marked 
dissimilarity  of  treatment.  The  first,  fig.  160,  is  of  a  rosery 
which  I  made  lately  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dulwich,  near 
London.  It  lies  in  a  sheltered  and  partially  detached  corner 
of  the  grounds,  and  is  connected  with  the  kitchen-garden,  on 
the  north  side,  by  the  walk  at  the  top  of  the  engraving,  the 
walk  to  the  right  leading  eastwards  into  the  general  pleasure- 
grounds,  through  some  wire  arches,  covered  with  climbing 
Roses ;  that  to  the  left  being  finished  by  a  handsome  summer- 
house  ;  and  the  southern  walk,  which  quickly  turns  westwards, 
being  conducted  through  a  small  wood  to  another  part  of  the 
estate.  The  whole  is  nicely  open  to  the  south,  south-east,  and 
south-west,  on  which  sides  only  shrubs  exist.  On  the  other 
margins,  larger  trees  mingle  with  the  plantations. 


284 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


Great  simplicity  and  roundness  of  form  will  be  observed  in 
the  beds,  and  the  grass  openings,  with  the  grass  verge  round 


Fig.  160. 

the  edge  of  the  walk,  are  varied  and  ample.     The  references 
will  make  the  details  quite  intelligible : — 


1.  Beds  of  Provence  Roses. 

2.  ,,       Hybrid  Perpetual  Roses. 

3.  ,,       Damask  Roses. 

4.  „       Moss  Roses. 

5.  Bed  of  Noisette  Roses,  with  climb- 

ing Rose,  trained  to  a  pole,  in 
the  centre. 


6.  Beds  of  Hybrid  China  Roses. 

7.  ,,       Bourbon  Roses. 

8.  Climbing  Roses,  trained  to  poles 

eight  feet  high. 

9.  Standard  Roses. 


ROSE  GARDENS. 


285 


It  will  be  seen  that  each  important  tribe  is  brought  together 
in  beds  by  itself,  and  if  the  sorts  be  nicely  selected  and  mixed, 
such  an  arrangement  will  be  found  usually  more  productive  of 
harmony  of  character  and  tone,  than  any  merely  promiscuous 
mixture  of  all  the  groups. 

The  other  plan,  fig.  161,  was  prepared  for  Harman  Grisewood, 
Esq.,  at  Daylesford.     In  this  case,  the  top  of  the  engraving 


^mm^ 


(0 


10 


20 


iO     40       50 


100   FEET, 


Fi£.  161. 


represents  the  west,  while  the  north  is  to  the  right,  and  the 
south  to  the  left.  The  site  of  the  rosery — the  only  suitable 
and  convenient  one  that  could  be  found — is  in  a  rough  appen- 
dage to  the  pleasure-grounds,  which  is  annexed  to  the  lawn  on 


236  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

the  east  side  of  the  house,  and  has  a  walk  carried  round  it,  and 
a  collection  of  Coniferous  plants  scattered  along  its  sides.  The 
rosery  forms  a  break  in  that  walk,  and  is  on  a  somewhat  elevated 
spot,  level  in  itself,  but  with  a  slope  to  the  west  beyond  the 
ran  ere  of  the  circular  walk. 

A  very  large  extent  of  grass  lying  around  the  plot,  the  beds 
are  to  have  box-edgings,  with  gravel  walks  between.  And 
because  it  would  have  appeared  like  a  sudden  break  in  the 
principal  lawn,  and  would  have  looked  exceedingly  bare  in  the 
winter,  as  viewed  from  a  distance,  and  nothing  in  the  way  of 
denser  plantations  or  masses  of  shrubs  would  have  been  admis- 
sible, on  account  of  the  open  character  of  this  part,  it  is  proposed 
to  environ  the  plot,  irregularly,  with  a  collection  of  Hollies. 
These,  as  specimens,  and  as  thus  brought  together,  would  be 
very  interesting  in  themselves,  while  they  would  supply  the 
needful  framing  in,  shelter,  and  cover,  without  producing  too 
much  shade,  or  interfering  with  the  leading  purposes  and 
characteristics  of  the  spot. 

The  beds  are  to  be  filled  with  Roses  of  one  class  or  tribe  in 
each,  the  figures  near  them  referring  rather  to  the  plants  repre- 
sented by  a  small  cross  (x)  in  the  centre  or  other  parts  of 
them.  Thus,  1  indicates  that  the  cross  in  the  middle  of  this 
bed  is  for  a  pillar  Rose,  on  a  pole  8  feet  high.  The  figure  2 
likewise  means  that  the  crosses  in  these  beds  are  for  standard 
Roses,  3  feet  6  inches  high ;  and  the  figures  3  denote  that 
specimens  of  standard  Cotoneaster  microphylla,  about  3  feet 
high,  should  be  placed  where  the  crosses  occur  in  the  adjoining 
beds.  Of  the  specimens,  4  are  pillar  Roses,  on  poles  6  feet 
high,  5  are  half- standard  Roses,  2  feet  high,  and  6  are  Irish  Yews, 
to  be  kept  to  a  uniform  height  of  about  3  feet.  The  remaining 
references  are  to  Hollies,  and  are  as  follows : — 


1.  Yellow-berried  Holly. 

8.  Ilex  ciliatum  minus. 

9.  Ilex  latifolium. 

10.  Golden-blotched  Holly. 

11.  Ilex  altaclarense. 


12.  Screw  Holly. 

13.  Ilex  recurvum 

14.  „    qpaca. 

15.  Dwarf  golden  Holly. 

16.  Ilex  balearica. 


HOSE   GARDENS.  287 


1  7.  Ilex  crassifolium. 

18.  Silver  hedgehog  Holly. 

19.  Hodgins's  Holly. 

20.  Narrow-leafed  golden  Holly. 

21.  Ilex  madeirensis. 

22.  Golden-striped  Holly. 

23.  Ilex  serratifolium. 

24.  Silver-blotched  Holly. 

25.  Green  hedgehog  Holly. 

26.  Ilex  platypliyllum. 

27.  Weeping  Holly. 


28.  Ilex  cassine. 

29.  Golden  hedgehog  Holly. 

30.  Ilex  dipyrena. 

31.  ,,     myrtifolium. 

32.  White-berried  Holly. 

33.  Common  Holly. 

34.  Ilex  perado. 

35.  Silver-striped  Holly. 

36.  Ilex  marginata. 

37.  „     ciliatum. 

38.  Laurel-leaved  Holly. 


This  list,  including  all  the  best  and  most  recognised  kinds  of 
Holly,  may  further  help  to  guide  those  who  wish  to  make  a 
collection  of  them.  I  have  occasionally  met  with  other  very 
distinct  varieties  in  provincial  nurseries,  and  having  local  names. 
And  to  any  person  who  can  appreciate  the  beauty  and  value 
of  the  tribe,  every  really  different  variety  will  be  a  desidera- 
tum. In  the  Bagshot  nurseries,  too,  I  have  noticed  the  varie- 
gated hedgehog  Holly  pruned  and  trained  into  a  standard, 
and  thus  making  a  highly  useful  plant  for  a  formal  garden. 

But  ere  I  pass  from  the  consideration  of  the  rosery,  it  may 
be  well  to  mention  that  certain  places  afford  facilities  for  grow- 
ing a  collection  of  Roses  by  the  sides  of  a  walk,  rather  than  in 
a  regular  garden.  Such  a  walk  I  remember  to  have  designed 
for  William  Wailes,  Esq.,  of  Saltwell,  near  Gateshead,  where 
regular  oblong  beds  were  cut  out  in  a  band  of  grass  on  either 
side  of  the  walk,  and  specimen  standards  occurred  between 
the  beds.  The  walk  itself — along  the  front  of  the  kitchen- 
garden — was  entered  through  a  wire  arch  mantled  with  climb- 
ing Roses,  and  ended  in  an  arbour  or  bower,  over  which  simi- 
lar Roses  were  intended  to  ramble. 

5.  Although  there  are  very  few  places  of  sufficient  magnitude 
to  admit  of  the  formation  of  what  has  been  termed  an  Arbor- 
etum, or  complete  collection  of  trees  and  shrubs,  classified 
according  to  their  natural  affinities ;  and  where  there  is  actually 
room  for  it,  such  a  gathering,  according  to  the  received  notion 
of  it,  would  be  by  no  means  ornamental,  while  it  would  neces- 
sarily comprise   many  species   and   varieties  that   are   quite 


288  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

unworthy  of  cultivation ;  there  is  the  greatest  propriety  in 
selecting  the  most  distinct  or  interesting  members  of  certain 
tribes,  and  allotting  a  separate  space  to  them  within  the  gene- 
ral compass  of  the  pleasure-grounds.  And  one  of  the  most 
pleasing  of  such  departments  would  be  the  JPinetum. 

By  the  term  Pinetum,  however,  I  do  not  profess  to  describe 
a  spot  that  necessarily  accommodates  all  the  known  or  hardy 
species  and  varieties  of  Coniferous  plants.  Much  less  do  I  seek 
to  advocate  the  common  method  of  dotting  these  about,  as 
single  specimens,  at  nearly  regular  intervals,  by  the  sides  of  a 
walk  made  on  purpose  to  exhibit  them.  I  merely  wish  to 
recommend  the  introduction,  where  practicable,  hi  some 
remoter  and  wilder  part  of  the  pleasure-grounds  or  woods,  and 
particularly  where  there  are  natural  sloping  banks,  of  varied 
aspect,  with  an  ordinarily  sandy  or  rocky  substratum,  of  a 
careful  selection  of  the  most  peculiar  or  most  ornamental  kinds, 
and  to  distribute  these  about  very  irregularly,  in  broken  groups 
or  as  single  specimens,  according  to  the  conformation  of  the 
ground,  the  character  or  value  of  the  plants,  and  their  fitness 
for  entering  into  combination  with  others  or  for  standing  alone. 
In  short,  the  object  of  a  Pinetum  should  be  to  produce  a  new 
and  unique,  but  always  picturesque  scene  or  succession  of 
scenes  in  a  place,  with  the  occasional  exhibition  of  a  very  per- 
fect specimen,  and  not,  as  is  usually  the  case,  a  merely  monoto- 
nous succession  of  specimens. 

A  remarkably  eligible  site  for  such  a  Pinetum  would  be  a 
small  winding  valley,  in  an  old  wood,  towards  the  outside  of 
a  pleasure-garden.  By  cutting  away  the  wood  in  the  bottom 
of  this  valley,  and  making  bold  indentations  into  it  along  the 
slopes  at  its  sides,  a  walk  might  be  conducted  through  the 
hollow,  and  the  banks  could  receive  the  choice  Conifers,  while 
the  groups  of  these  latter  would  be  broken  here  and  there  by 
jutting  portions  of  the  wood,  and  the  whole  would  be  backed 
and  thrown  into  good  relief  by  the  deciduous  trees  composing 
the  main  mass  of  the  same. 

The   sketch,  fig.  162,  will  afford  some  slight  idea  of  the 


THE   PINETUM. 


289 


grouping  of  the  Pine  and  Fir  class  by  the  sides  of  such  a  walk 
as  I  have  mentioned,  the  wood  itself  being  nearly  altogether 
omitted.  The  lines  of  the  walk,  too,  are  probably  smoother 
and  more  regular  than  they  would  be  likely  to  be  in  such  a 


Fig.  162. 

situation.  But  they  might,  for  variety,  ascend  the  banks  in 
certain  parts,  and  would  thus  show  the  Conifers  more  advan- 
tageously.    The  scale  is  66  feet  to  an  inch. 

Each  plant  of  the  tribe  under  notice  will  require  to  be  put  on 
a  raised  hillock,  as  well  for  guarding  it  against  undue  moisture, 
as  for  exhibiting  it  better.  The  Wellingtonia  gigantea  is  said  to 
thrive  best  on  a  moist  bank,  and  the  soil  for  the  Arancaria 
imbricata  should  not  be  too  light.  Still,  it  may  be  doubted 
whether  a  light  and  tolerably  dry  soil  is  not  to  be  preferred  for 

13 


290  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

every  exotic  plant  in  this  country,  unless  where  the  hardiness 
of  the  species  is  thoroughly  ascertained. 

Plants  of  comparatively  kindred  habits  should  always  be 
chosen  for  grouping  with  each  other.  It  is  well  known  how 
admirably  the  Scotch  Fir  falls  into  groups,  when  it  becomes 
old.  And  Cedars  of  Lebanon  afford  another  example,  from  which 
it  may  be  deduced  that  an  affinity  or  resemblance  between  the 
plants  in  a  group  should  be  sought.  Deodar  Cedars  also  group 
beautifully.  And  the  Black  Spruce  Fir,  by  its  natural  tendency 
to  throw  up  stems  around  itself  from  the  rooting  of  its.  droop- 
ing branches,  creates,  in  many  instances,  a  very  picturesque 
group  of  its  own.  We  have  yet  to  discover,  in  England,  what 
can  be  done  by  grouping  Austrian  Pines,  Stone  Pines,  Hem- 
lock Spruce,  Araucarias,  and  rarer  things  of  a  lofty  habit  of 
growth ;  while  many  of  the  elegant  Cypresses,  Junipers,  Thu- 
jas, &c,  are  capable  of  being  presented  to  us  in  quite  a  novel 
aspect,  if  judiciously  gathered  together  in  picturesque  groups. 

6.  By  no  means  widely  removed  from  the  Pinetum,  in  cha- 
racter and  purpose,  would  be  the  winter-garden.  In  reality, 
as  Conifers  are  almost  invariably  evergreen,  an  assemblage  of 
them  such  as  I  have  just  described,  would,  in  itself,  compose 
a  winter-garden  of  a  particular  kind.  And,  in  a  similar  situa- 
tion, a  quantity  of  ornamental  shrubby  evergreens  might  be 
gathered  together  so  as  to  constitute  a  very  effective  specimen 
of  the  irregular  winter-garden.  Or,  if  Rhododendrons  and 
their  allies  were  exclusively  used,  the  same  scene  might  be 
transformed  into  an  American  garden. 

But  the  more  usual  or  acknowledged  application  of  the  epi- 
thet "  winter-garden  "  would  be  to  a  plot  that  is  arranged  in 
a  purely  regular  manner,  with  the  beds  cut  into  quaint  or  at 
least  formal  figures,  and  the  shrubs  for  these  beds  selected  for 
the  colours  of  their  foliage,  and  placed  each  by  itself  in  a 
separate  bed.  With  a  due  regard,  in  the  choice  of  plants,  to 
diversities  of  height  and  habit,  to  the  periods  of  producing 
flowers  or  berries,  to  the  variegation  or  other  conspicuous 
peculiarity  of  the  leaves,  to  dwarf  edgings  of  another  kind  of 


WINTER   GARDENS.  291 

plant  and  to  the  right  employment  of  standard  and  other 
specimens,  a  formal  winter-garden,  whether  kept  apart  by  itself, 
or  made  to  fall  in  with  the  general  sweep  of  the  lawn,  may 
become  deeply  attractive  in  both  summer  and  winter. 

There  will  be  the  most  obvious  propriety  in  restricting  all  the 
elements  of  a  winter-garden  to  evergreens.  Plants  of  dark 
foliage,  such  as  the  common  Yew,  Irish  Yew,  Taxus  adpressa, 
(which  makes  a  beautiful  low  standard,)  and  common  Savin, 
will  be  of  great  use  in  the  composition,  as  will  those  with  light- 
coloured  or  variegated  leaves,  those  which  flower  or  fruit,  in 
either  summer  or  whiter,  those  fitted  for  edgings,  and  such  as 
bear  clipping  into  regular  shapes.  Among  light-foliaged  plants, 
the  tamarisk-leaved  Savin,  the  common  Lavender,  and  the 
Helianthemum  canescens  may  be  mentioned,  while  Kalmia  lati- 
folia  and  Daphne  pontica  supply  leaves  of  a  pale  green.  Plants 
that  flower  some  time  in  the  summer,  and  fruit  hi  the  winter, 
may  be  represented  by  Cotoneasters,  Ivy,  Pernettyas,  Gaul- 
therias,  Pyracanths,  &c. ;  and  those  which  flower  in  the  winter 
or  very  early  spring  are  Erica  carnea,  Rhododendron  dauricum 
atrovirenS)  Andromeda  floribunda,  Garry  a  ettiptica,  Berberis 
aquifolium,  Laurustinuses,  &c.  A  few  that  are  most  showy, 
when  in  flower,  at  other  periods,  are  Rhododendrons,  Double 
Furze,  Heaths,  Helianthemums,  Menziesias,  Ledums,  and  Aza- 
lea amcetia.  The  best  variegated  kinds  include  Aucubas, 
variegated  Ivies,  variegated  Periwinkles,  golden  Thyme,  varie- 
gated Savin,  Euonymus  japonieus  variegatus,  a  variegated 
variety  of  Rhododendron  hirsnticm,  dwarf  variegated  Hollies, 
and  silver  and  golden  Yews. 

Of  plants  possessing  much  character  as  specimens  for  a 
winter-garden,  a  few  may  be  indicated.  They  are  Yuccas, 
Standard  Rhododendrons,  Cotoneasters,  Taxus  adjpressa,  black 
leaved  Laurustinus,  and  Sweet  Bays,  Irish  Yews,  Irish  Furze, 
Irish  Juniper,  Abies  Clanbrasiliana,  Thuja  aurea,  Tree  Ivy, 
golden-blotched  Holly,  Juniperus  recurva,  and  the  golden- 
striped  Yew.  The  following  may  also  be  used  for  edgings : — 
Berberis  empetrifolia,  B.  Darwinii,  Epigma  repens,  Gaultheria 


292  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

procumbens,  blue,  white  and  variegated  Minor  Periwinkles, 
variegated  Savin,  golden  Thyme,  and  those  which  have  been 
formerly  recommended  (p.  232)  for  edgings. 

Laurustinus,  golden  Holly,  golden  Yews,  and  many  plants 
which  might  become  too  large  for  an  ordinary  winter-garden, 
can  sometimes  be  kept  within  due  limits  by  growing  them  in 
pots  or  slate  tubs,  plunged  in  the  ground,  and  occasionally 
lifted  to  prevent  the  roots  from  spreading  into  the  surrounding 
earth.  Others,  as  Box,  and  common  Yew,  may  be  retained  in 
any  given  shape  by  clipping,  and  will  be  serviceable  where 
specimens  of  a  particular  form  are  wanted. 

The  beds  of  a  winter-garden  will  always  look  best  if  cut  on 
grass,  and  it  would  be  nearly  impossible  to  edge  them  with  Box, 
if  they  were  divided  by  gravel  walks,  for  the  shrubs  would  soon 
damage  or  destroy  the  Box.  Where  gravel  is  the  separating 
medium,  therefore,  they  must  be  edged  with  stone,  tiles,  or  slate. 

7.  In  the  present  artificial  state  of  society,  with  every  species 
of  business  conducted  in  an  anxious  and  hurried  manner,  and 
so  many  persons  devoting  themselves  to  mental  or  sedentary 
pursuits,  all  sorts  of  out-door  exercise  and  amusement  become 
additionally  needful  and  salutary.  And  it  is  gratifying  to  find 
that  there  is,  in  this  age,  a  wise  tendency  towards  harmless 
indulgence  of  the  kind.  A  demand,  therefore,  more  frequently 
arises  for  a  bowling-green,  as  an  appendage  to  a  garden ;  and 
this  affords  one  of  the  least  violent  as  well  as  the  most  domestic 
means  of  obtaining  the  desired  relaxation  in  the  open  air. 

I  believe  the  orthodox  form  of  a  bowling-green  is  a  square  of 
about  forty  yards  each  way,  and  that  the  best  players  prefer  to 
have  the  ground  very  slightly  raised  towards  the  centre.  An 
oblong  and  narrower  plot,  however,  will  suffice  for  all  ordinary 
practice ;  and  as  it  is  in  no  way  requisite  that  the  margins 
should  be  straight  or  regular,  a  bowling-green  may  often  be 
concocted  out  of  the  principal  lawn,  where  the  ground  is  flat 
enough  for  the  purpose. 

Still,  if  there  be  sufficient  space  in  the  garden,  and  the 
natural  levels  of  the  land  admit  of  it,  a  bowling  green  may  be 


BOWLING   GREENS. 


293 


bettor  treated  as  a  separate  thing.  Fig.  163  represents  one 
that  I  designed  for  James  Ball,  Esq.,  of  Newton,  near  Chester, 
and  is  of  a  circular  form,  the  ground  constituting  the  bowling- 


green  being  sunk  two  feet,  and  there  being  a  terrace  bank 
denning  it  all  round.  The  circular  shape  was  adopted  as  being 
more  beautiful  than  a  square,  and  as  allowing,  between  the 


2^4:  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

green  and  the  square  walk  around  it,  an  opportunity  of  planting 
the  margin  effectively.  The  main  obj  ect  of  sinking  the  ground, 
too,  was  one  of  convenience,  to  save  unnecessary  earth-work ; 
but  it  also  contributes  to  effect,  and  enables  those  walking  in 
the  garden,  and  keeping  on  the  paths,  to  see  the  players  better. 
The  top  of  the  engraving  is  the  north  side,  on  which  the 
house  and  pleasure  grounds  are  placed.  A  small  supplementary 
kitchen-garden,  or  potato  ground,  lies  on  the  east,  with  a  walk 
into  it  from  the  centre  of  the  bowling-green  on  this  side.  The 
plantation  to  the  south  is  on  the  boundary  of  the  place,  and 
there  is  an  open  field  to  the  west.  A  summer  house  (10)  ap- 
propriately finishes  two  of  the  walks,  and  is  a  convenient  rest- 
ing place  for  the  players.  The  figures  represent  the  following 
shrubs : — 


1.  Irish  Yews. 

2.  Golden  Hollies. 

3.  Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

4.  Erica  muUijlora. 

5.  „      car nea. 

G.  Spircea  Lindleyana. 


7.  Mass  of  Rhododendron  hirsutum. 

8.  „  „  ferruginewm. 

9.  Beds  chiefly  filled  with  Rhododen- 

drons, with  Roses  on  the  side 
next  the  bowling-green. 


In  making  a  bowling-green,  should  much  alteration  of  level 
have  to  be  effected,  the  parts  raised  must  be  well  trodden  and 
rammed  at  the  time  of  tilling  them,  that  they  may  not  settle 
irregularly.  It  is  likewise  a  matter  of  importance  that  the 
ground  should  be  laid  with  good  old  sods,  from  a  sheep  pasture, 
or  common,  or  downs,  in  order  that  the  turf  may  be  fine,  and 
that  it  afterwards  may  be  easy  to  take  it  up  and  re-lay  it 
should  the  levels  from  any  cause  get  disturbed.  For  these 
reasons,  too,  it  is  injudicious  to  sow  it  down  with  new  grass 
seeds ;  for  if  it  falls  into  holes  or  depressions,  it  will  be  im- 
possible to  alter  these  under  four  or  five  years,  unless  by  the 
introduction  of  old  turf  in  such  parts. 

8.  Water,  in  summer  weather,  is  always  grateful,  by  imparting 
at  least,  a  semblance  of  coolness,  in  addition  to  all  those  beautiful 
and  varied  effects  which  the  influence  of  atmospheric  phenomena, 
before  alluded  to,  begets.    But  an  essential  condition  to  its  en- 


LAKES  AND  OTHER  PIECES  OF  WATER.  295 

jopnent  is,  that  it  should  be  pure  and  clear.  And  this  it  can 
never  be  unless  it  is  either  continually  changing  by  having  an 
uninterrupted  stream  of  fresh  water  flowing  through  it,  or  by 
being  fully  exposed  to  the  action  of  light  and  air.  Ponds  that 
are  encircled  by  trees  are  nearly  always  foul.  Having  a  clay 
bottom  and  slopes,  however,  with  some  kind  of  pitching  near 
the  surface  in  parts  exposed  to  violent  winds,  to  prevent  the 
banks  from  gradually  washing  away,  and  soiling  the  water, 
will  contribute  greatly  towards  keeping  it  pure.  Aquatic  plants 
are  also  of  much  use,  when  not  too  abimdant,  in  preserving 
stagnant  water  from  putridity. 

In  whatever  way  pieces  of  water  may  be  introduced  into  a 
small  place,  simple  forms  appear  by  far  the  most  congenial. 
Basins,  either  with  or  without  fountains  attached,  and  having 
a  stone  rim,  will  be  in  the  best  taste  for  formal  gardens,  and 
can  be  either  circular  or  octagonal,  or  of  any  other  regular 
shape.*  Roundish  or  somewhat  oblong  pools  or  ponds  will  be 
another  suitable  class  of  figures  for  a  small  piece  of  water, 
where  more  agreement  with  nature  is  sought.  But  if  still 
greater  freedom  be  desired,  and  space  be  not  so  much  an  object, 
the  shape  may  be  more  varied  and  irregular. 

The  principal  advantage  of  a  varied  outline  for  water  is,  that 
it  will  not  be  all  seen  at  the  same  time,  and  that  by  a  tasteful 
treatment  of  its  terminations,  considerable  indefiniteness  may 
be  obtained  in  it.  It  is  most  essential,  however,  that  numerous 
and  unnecessary  curves  and  bays,  which  would  destroy  all  ap- 
pearance of  breadth,  and  be  suited  only  for  very  large  lakes, 
where  they  could  be  carried  out  on  a  bold  scale,  should  be 
omitted.  Islands,  too,  though  they  increase  the  variety  and 
beauty  of  an  extensive  sheet  of  water,  rather  fritter  away  and 
impoverish  smaller  lakes,  unless  they  are  adapted  nicely  to  the 
dimensions  of  the  whole. 

No  irregular  piece  of  water  can  be  made  at  all  tasteful  or 
pleasing  unless  the  margins  of  it  are  appropriately  planted,  or 

*  See  p.  119  to  p.  121,  whore  examples  are  given. 


296  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

mounded,  or  both.  As  with  a  curved  walk  on  a  flat  surface, 
and  unfurnished  with  planting,  the  curves  in  a  lake  would  seem 
needless  and  improper.  It  is  therefore  requisite  to  plant,  or 
throw  up  a  bank  on  all  the  promontories  round  the  margin, 
diversifying  the  shape  and  extent  of  the  planting  according  to 
the  amount  of  curve  that  has  to  be  hidden.  And  as  bare 
mounds  would  rarely  look  sufficient  in  such  a  position,  or  effect 
all  that  was  required  of  them,  unless  they  were  disproportion- 
ately high,  it  will  be  better  to  make  them  only  low,  and  plant 
dwarf  bushes  upon  them  where  they  do  happen  to  be  employed. 
Larger  trees,  overhanging  and  dipping  their  branches  into  the 
water  at  other  points,  will  be  highly  effective ;  and  the  weeping 
kinds  of  tree  are  especially  suitable  for  such  purposes.  Alders, 
(in  particular,  the  cut-leaved  variety,)  weeping  Willows,  weep- 
ing Birch,  the  American  weeping  Willow,  which  is  exceedingly 
graceful,  the  deciduous  Cypress,  the  Liquidambar,  and  the 
Tamarisk  will  be  excellent  plants  for  the  margins  of  water  in 
particular  parts.  For  small  islands,  the  common  Dogwood,  or 
the  Arbutus,  planted  quite  alone,  and  covering  the  entire  island, 
will  be  very  beautiful.  Or  a  thicket  of  common  Thorns,  Hol- 
lies, or  Furze  would  not  be  ineffective. 

That  a  piece  of  water  may  not  be  too  much  enshrouded  by 
trees,  which,  I  have  already  said,  would  tend  to  make  it  impure, 
to  destroy  its  clearness,  and  to  deprive  it  of  the  sparkle,  and 
glitter,  and  capacity  for  reflecting  objects,  which  constitute  some 
of  its  chief  attractions,  a  large  portion  of  its  margin,  especially 
round  the  bays  and  recesses,  should  be  left  implanted,  except 
with  here  and  there  a  single  specimen,  or  a  small  cluster  of 
shrubs.  These  can  be  arranged  mainly  with  reference  to  their 
actual  effect  when  viewed  from  a  variety  of  points,  but  not  with- 
out regard  to  their  appearance  when  mirrored  in  the  water,  or 
to  the  shadows  which  they  will  throw  upon  it  at  certain  times 
of  the  day.  And  in  this  view  of  the  case,  not  merely  elegant 
forms  should  be  chosen,  but  masses  of  flowering  shrubs,  which 
will  produce  broad  effect,  in  the  way  of  colour,  should  likewise  be 
employed.     Such  would  be  the  doubl  e  Furze,  Rhododendrons, 


LAKES  AND   THEIR   ACCOMPANIMENTS.  297 

Laburnums,  Lilacs,  &c,  and,  if  within  the  pleasure  grounds, 
Hydrangeas,  Dahlias,  or  even  patches  of  showy  Geraniums, 
misrht  be  added. 

Smoothness  and  softness  in  the  finish  of  the  banks  around 
water  should  be  a  leading  feature,  and  the  grass  should  slope 
down,  more  or  less  gently,  to  the  very  edge  of  the  water,  so 
that  there  be  no  hard  line  of  earth  between  them.  Even  where 
the  plantations  come  down  to  the  brink  of  the  water,  there 
can  still  be  a  strip  of  turf  below  them,  that  the  water  may  not 
wash  against  bare  earth  anywhere. 

In  more  secluded  parts,  water  can  be  treated  rather  less  arti- 
ficially, and  have  its  banks  formed  of  partially  broken  ground, 
with  rougher  grass  or  heather,  and  masses  of  jutting  rock  or  old 
roots,  on  some  of  the  more  conspicuous  points.  This  will 
heighten  the  variety  and  beauty  of  the  reflections  in  it.  But  it 
requires  consummate  taste  and  art  to  effect  anything  of  the  sort. 
Gardeners  in  general  have  no  notion  whatever  of  dealing  with 
ground,  otherwise  than  in  the  common-place  dressed  manner. 

Aquatic  plants  can  be  grown  in  any  piece  of  water ;  but  they 
will  be  less  appropriate  the  more  artificial  the  water  is  made, 
and  will  adapt  themselves  better  to  rougher  and  more  rustic 
accompaniments.  If  kept  near  the  edge,  and  placed  almost 
wholly  opposite  the  more  prominent  points  of  land,  they  will  be 
nearly  tantamount  to  specimen  trees  or  shrubs  planted  in  the 
front  of  swells  in  lawn  plantations,  and  be  equally  good. 

Stagnant  water  being  very  apt  to  become  corrupt,  and  to 
evaporate  largely  in  summer,  some  expedient  shou'd  always  be 
contrived  for  retaining  water  in  lakes,  and  maintaining  a  tole- 
rably fresh  supply.  Thorough  puddling  for  the  bottom  and 
sides  will  be  a  good  safeguard  against  loss ;  though  it  will  not 
be  needed  where  the  sub-soil  is  naturally  a  stiff  clay.  And  as 
few  places  would  yield  any  other  resource,  it  will  be  well  to 
keep  the  water  in  the  lowest  part  of  the  land,  (as  it  should  be 
in  point  of  taste  also,)  and  drain  the  whole  of  the  ground, 
excepting  the  kitchen  garden,  into  it.  A  moderate  supply,  in 
all  but  the  very  driest  weather,  will  thus  be  provided. 

13* 


298  SPECIAL    DEPARTMENTS. 

"Where  anything  in  the  way  of  a  small  stream  passes  through 
a  place,  and  is  not  at  all  sluggish  in  its  course,  it  may  be  ren- 
dered additionally  interesting  by  having  its  fall  broken  here  and 
there  with  masses  of  rock,  and,  where  such  a  plan  would  not 
interfere  with  the  general  landscape,  it  can  be  covered  in  and 
darkened  by  plantation  at  various  points,  so  as  to  allow  small 
shady  walks,  banks  of  ferns,  &c,  by  its  side.  When  it  takes  a 
tortuous  direction,  walks  of  this  description  can  cross  it  by 
means  of  a  few  stones,  or  a  rough  little  arch,  in  different  parts, 
and  pass  away  from  it  for  a  few  yards,  to  return  again  to  its 
side  in  the  next  bend  of  its  course. 

If  the  position  for  a  sheet  of  water  be  skilfully  chosen, 
advantage  will  be  taken  of  any  natural  stream  that  flows  through 
the  property,  and  by  throwing  a  dam  across  the  hollow  along 
which  it  winds,  a  lake  may  probably  be  formed  in  a  very 
inartificial  manner,  and  at  a  light  expense.  This  is  precisely 
the  case  with  regard  to  the  piece  of  water  depicted  in  fig.  164, 
which  has  been  designedfor  the  park  of  Sir  Robert  Gerard,Bart., 
at  Garswood,  near  Xewton,  Lancashire.  There  is  a  natural 
concavity  in  the  ground,  within  view  of  the  mansion,  and 
adjoining  a  small  rivulet  which  flows  from  a  north-westerly  in  a 
south-easterly  direction ;  and  by  damming  up  this  stream  at 
the  southern  end,  a  very  little  excavation  would  produce  a  sheet 
of  water  of  the  outline  shown  in  the  engraving,  and  leave  a 
bank  in  the  centre  for  an  island.  The  road  shown  in  the 
sketch,  along  the  eastern  side,  is  intended  for  a  private  ride  or 
drive,  and  winds  from  one  of  the  main  drives  up  the  side  of  a 
picturesque  hollow,  and  through  some  woods  to  another  part  of 
the  park.  The  short  branch  Avalk  from  it  leads  to  a  contem- 
plated boat-house.  And  there  is  a  separate  walk  from  the 
Hail,  at  the  bottom  of  the  engraving,  which  would  pass  all 
round  the  lake,  being  kept  chiefly  in  the  open  park,  but  also 
running  through  two  enclosures.  The  dotted  lines  represent 
the  fences  to  all  the  plantations  or  enclosures,  and  the  mode  of 
planting  will  be  fully  apparent  from  the  sketch.  The  area  of 
the  lake  would  be  a  little  less  than  three  acres. 


LAKES   AND   THEIR   ACCOMPANIMENTS. 


299 


As  will  be  perceived  by  the  plan,  the  part  about  the  dam  is 
enclosed  from  the  park ;  and  this  gives  the  opportunity  of 
shaping  the  ground  nicely  there,  and  of  planting  it  densely. 


Too  frequently  in  such  cases,  the  treatment  of  an  embankment 
of  this  sort  presents  a  singular  example  of  poverty  and  feeble- 
ness of  invention.  It  is  commonly  made  too  narrow,  or  too 
abrupt,  or  is  planted  chiefly  with  forest  trees,  which,  when 
they  grow  up,  appear  thin  and  meagre,  and  sometimes  shut 
out  a  most  charming  view  over  the  valley  below. 


300  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

The  first  requisite  in  making  a  dam  is  to  place  it  at  a  point 
where  the  valley  narrows,  and  the  adjoining  banks  are  tolera- 
bly steep  and  high.  A  trench  of  at  least  four  or  five  feet  wide, 
should  then  be  taken  out  across  the  hollow,  and  be  cut  down 
till  solid  ground  is  reached.  If  this  be  clay,  it  will  be  so  much 
the  more  satisfactory.  The  trench  should  then  be  filled  up 
with  puddled  clay,  and  this  latter  be  added  as  much  as  possi- 
ble in  a  sloping  bank  on  the  side  towards  the  intended  lake,  a 
good  broad  embankment  being  carried  up  simultaneously  on 
the  outside,  as  the  work  proceeds ;  taking  care  also  to  build 
up  a  chamber  and  drain,  in  cement,  for  an  overflow,  at  the 
same  time,  with  a  strong  sluice  if  it  is  wished  to  have  the 
power  of  drying  the  lake. 

Any  overflow  from  a  lake  should  always  pass  under  ground 
for  several  yards,  in  a  barrel  drain,  and  emerge  where  the 
slope  of  the  bank  w7ould  naturally  give  it  exit ;  after  which  the 
water  from  it,  if  there  be  sufficient  volume,  may  flow  away  in 
an  open  stream,  with  or  without  the  accompaniment  of  rocks 
to  break  it  up  into  falls,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  ground, 
or  the  steepness  of  the  descent.  Or,  if  there  be  only  an  occa- 
sional and  scanty  surplus  of  water,  it  may  be  kept  entirely  in 
a  covered  drain. 

In  planting  an  embankment,  the  predominant  kinds  used 
should  certainly  be  bushes,  with  only  a  tree  or  two  here  and 
there,  or  a  group  of  them,  to  assist  the  outline.  Hollies,  Lau- 
rels, Portugal  Laurels,  Rhododendrons,  Box,  and  Yews,  will 
make  an  excellent  mixture  of  evergreens,  and  Thorns,  Lilacs, 
Dogwoods,  and  Laburnums  may  be  added,  for  summer  effect. 
Any  wralk  that  crosses  the  dam  of  a  lake,  unless  it  be  a  branch 
stretching  down  the  bank  for  the  sake  of  exhibiting  a  water- 
fall that  may  be  concocted  from  the  overflow,  must  be  care- 
fully kept  on  ground  above  the  level  of  the  wTater,  that  it  may 
not  even  appear  dangerous.  It  may,  indeed,  be  held  as  an 
established  rule,  that  water  should  not  be  allowed  to  be  seen 
from  a  point  wrhere  it  seems  to  be  higher  than  the  ground  on 
which  the  observer  stands. 


LAKES  AND  THEIR  ACCOMPANIMENTS.  301 

Fig.  165  represents  a  piece  of  water  of  a  more  domestic 
character  than  the  last,  and  is  within  the  grounds  of  Owen 
Jones,  Esq.,  at  Thornton,  Cheshire,  a  portion  of  whose  garden 
has  been  given  in  fi>.  18.  When  the  site  of  the  house  was 
selected,  in  1850,  the  property  (about  100  acres)  being  bare 
of  timber,  and  having  no  marked  or  individual  character,  I 
thought  it  desirable  to  fix  upon  a  spot  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
a  rather  remarkable  group  of  old  abandoned  marl-pits.  These 
pits  are  exceedingly  common  in  this  part  of  Cheshire,  and  are 
always  filled  with  clear  water,  and  often  with  Water-Lilies  and 
other  pleasing  aquatic  plants.  In  this  instance,  too,  as  is  also 
usual,  they  were  accompanied  with  a  number  of  rugged  old 
Oaks,  of  stunted  growth ;  and  picturesque  masses  of  Thorns, 
Furze,  and  other  brushwood  clothed  the  banks  between  them. 
I  therefore  wished  to  throw  these  pits  into  one,  and  thus  form 
a  small  home  lake ;  and  the  architect,  Mr.  Verelst,  of  Liver- 
pool, concurring  in  this  view,  the  house  was  placed  as  shown 
in  the  figure,  and  the  water  and  other  details  portrayed  are 
the  general  result,  the  islands  being  formed  out  of  parts  of  the 
old  division  banks. 

The  approach  to  the  house  is  from  the  east,  and  the  drive 
enters  the  enclosed  grounds  at  the  bottom  of  the  figure,  and 
passes  near  the  lake.  The  house  is  at  1,  the  conservatory  2,  a 
summer-house  3,  the  house  yard  4,  the  stable  yard  5,  the  stables 
and  their  appurtenances  6,  the  garden  yard  7,  the  vineries, 
with  garden  sheds  behind,  8,  the  kitchen-garden  9,  an  Ameri- 
can garden,  in  a  hollow  formed  by  filling  up  an  old  pit,  at  10, 
a  boat-house  at  11,  and  a  summer-house  on  an  island,  reached 
by  a  rustic  bridge,  at  12.  Portions  of  several  of  these  depart- 
ments are  unavoidably  omitted  from  the  figure,  owing  to  the 
size  of  the  page,  and  there  is  a  small  farmstead  to  the  north- 
west of  the  stables,  and  an  extra  frame-ground  on  the  same 
side  of  the  kitchen-garden,  a  strong  plantation  surrounding  and 
protecting  the  entire  homestead  on  the  north-west  quarter. 

The  house  being  placed  on  a  bank  considerably  above  the 
level  of  the  lake,  and  the  ground  sloping  gently,  and  in  easy 


Fig.   105. 


LAKES   AND   THEIR  ACCOMPANIMENTS.  303 

lines,  from  the  one  to  the  other,  the  lake,  with  its  accompany- 
ing plantations,  will  eventually  form  a  characteristic  foreground 
to  a  flattish  open  country,  in  which,  about  fourteen  or  fifteen 
miles  away,  the  Helsby  and  Frodsham  hills  rise  up  to  compose 
a  bolder  distance.  The  islands  too,  being  variously  clothed 
with  trees  and  shrubs,  aid  in  diversifying  and  concealing  the 
boundaries  of  the  lake  from  many  points. 

When  a  piece  of  water  is  included  in  grounds  that  are  of  a 
formal  character,  and  is  made  to  increase  or  uphold  that  cha- 
racter from  the  windows  of  a  large  mansion,  in  some  variety 
of  the  classic  style,  it  may  take  almost  any  regular  figure,  but 
will,  if  lengthened  into  something  resembling  a  canal,  as  at 
Hampton  Court  and  Chatsworth,  impart  propriety  and  beauty 
to  a  vista,  and  fall  readily  into  the  lines  of  such  a  place. 

Of  this  class  of  garden  pools,  fig.  166  will  furnish  an  example. 
It  is  in  the  grounds  of.  Sir  Robert  Gerard,  Bart.,  at  Garswood, 
and  was  not  designed  by  me,  though  I  have  suggested  the  regu- 
larity of  the  accompanying  treatment.  It  runs  north  and  south, 
the  mansion  being  rather  more  than  a  hundred  yards  from  its 
northern  end.  A  wood  of  full-grown  trees  closes  it  in  to  the 
east  and  west.  It  is  proposed  to  put  an  ornamental  parapet 
wall,  with  piers  and  low  vases,  round  its  broader  end,  to  insert 
vases,  on  pedestals,  in  the  centres  of  the  squares  in  the  adjoin- 
ing walks,  to  put  a  handsome  temple-like  summer  house  at  the 
south  end  of  the  water,  and  another  as  a  westerly  finish  to  the 
broad  walk  in  the  bottom  of  the  engraving;  converting  a 
raised  mound  at  the  east  end  of  the  same  walk  into  an  elevated 
balustraded  bastion,  wdiich  will  terminate  an  ornamental  wall 
that  joins  it  from  the  north,  and  severs  the  pleasure  grounds 
from  the  projected  kitchen  garden.  The  lines  of  walk  and 
other  arrangements  will  be  easily  traced  on  the  plan ;  but  the 
dotted  line  which  runs  east  and  west  from  the  broader  part 
of  the  pool  marks  a  line  of  fence,  which  would  be  made  to 
exclude  game,  and  to  separate  the  dressed  pleasure  grounds 
.  from  the  less  highly  kept  parts  to  the  south. 

The  leading;  intention  in  what  has  been  thus  smm'estcd  has 


Fig.  166. 


LAKES  AND  THEIR  ACCOMPANIMENTS. 


305 


been  to  sustain  the  formal  character  of  the  pool  by  architectural 
and  other  accessories,  of  sufficient  dignity  to  comport  with  the 
magnitude  and  style  of  the  mansion.  And  it  may  be  remarked 
that,  wherever  such  regular  pieces  of  water  are  admitted  at  all, 
they  should  ever  be  attended  by  some  kind  of  architectural 
ornaments.  Rows  of  statuary  or  vases  along  their  sides  will,  in 
some  places,  be  peculiarly  suitable. 

In  making  purely  artificial  pieces  of  water,  the  depth  should 
not  be  allowed  to  exceed  from  four  to  five  feet,  and  the  slope  of 
their  banks  must  not  be  too  steep,  while  it  should  blend  nicely 
with  the  ground  around.    Fig.  167,  which  is  on  a  scale  of  four 


Fig.  1GT. 

feet  to  an  inch,  will  exemplify,  in  section,  a  good  form  for  such 
banks.  And  it  will  also  show,  from  b  upwards,  how  the  banks 
can  be  pitched  with  stone,  so  as  to  preserve  them  from  being 
washed  away  by  the  action  of  winds  on  the  water.  The  stones 
can  either  be  rough  boulders,  or  more  irregular  small  blocks  set 
on  edge,  or  in  large  flattish  masses.  They  should  be  well 
bedded  into  the  bank,  extend  two  feet  (in  vertical  depth)  below 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  present  a  somewhat  rugged  face. 
In  turfing  the  banks  above,  too,  the  sod  (indicated  by  thin 
double  lines  in  the  section)  should  stretch  down  into  the  water 
as  at  a,  at  least  nine  inches  below  the  water  level ;  for  there  is 


306  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

a  manifest  beauty  in  the  perfect  union  of  the  grass  and  the 
water,  where  the  latter  comes  within  the  range  of  the  pleasure 
garden.    Fig.  168  may  possibly  suggest  a  hint  or  two  in  regard 


Fig.  168. 

to  the  profile  of  groups  of  planting  by  the  sides  of  such  pieces 
of  water. 

Water-birds,  on  lakes  of  any  magnitude  in  parks,  or  on  ponds 
in  woods  beyond  the  limits  of  the  pleasure-ground,  are  generally 
pretty  and  vivacious,  and  give  life  and  motion  to  any  scene. 
Islands,  covered  with  dense  masses  of  shrubs,  are  particularly 
useful  as  breeding  places  for  water-birds,  and  as  protecting 
them,  at  night,  from  foxes  and  other  animals  of  prey.  Small 
rude  shelter-houses  for  aquatic  birds  may  likewise  become 
characteristic  ornaments  to  the  margins  of  such  islands. 

But  water-birds  should  on  no  account  be  admitted  upon  orna- 
mental water  in  pleasure-grounds,  as  they  destroy  the  beauty 
of  the  banks,  foul  the  water,  and  are  otherwise  a  nuisance. 
A  pair  of  swans  might  possibly  form  an  exception. 

Bridges,  if  at  all  wanted,  ought  to  be  of  an  exceedingly  quiet 
and  simple  character  in  a  small  place.  They  should  certainly 
never  be  of  dressed  wood  or  stone,  unless  they  have  to  carry  the 
approach  to  the  house  over  a  moat,  or  river,  or  similar  piece  of 
water.  For  merely  crossing  the  arm  of  a  small  lake,  or  giving 
access  to  an  island,  a  simple  rough  plank,  sufficiently  broad  and 
stout,  with  the  bark  left  on  at  the  edges,  and  a  hand-rail  made 
of  undressed  fir  or  larch  wood,  with  the  bark  on,  will  sometimes 


BRIDGES. 


307 


be  suitable.  Or  a  rather  more  perfect  and  ornamental  rustic 
bridge,  that  is  altogether  wanting  in  pretension,  and  does  not 
stand  so  high  as  to  become  very  conspicuous,  may  be  chosen 
in  other  places.  Lightness  and  yet  safety,  rusticity,  and  the 
absence  of  anything  marked  or  staring,  will  be  the  leading 
characteristics  demanded. 

One  of  the  most  obvious  forms  for  such  a  bridge  is  exhibited 
in  fig.  169,  where  two  strong  larch  poles  are  thrown  across  a 


Fig.   169. 

piece  of  water,  and  a  path  of  cross  pieces  formed  upon  these, 
with  a  simple  hand-rail*  and  light  upright  and  diagonal  bars  of 
the  same  material,  on  either  side.  This  bridge  is  very  low,  and 
would  not  admit  a  boat  beneath  it,  being  designed  for  a  stream 
about  twelve  or  fifteen  feet  wide.  But  it  might  easily  be 
made  higher,  if  necessary,  by  obtaining,  either  naturally  or  arti- 
ficially, additional  elevation  in  the  side  banks.  The  sketches, 
figs.  170  and  171,  are  to  the  same  scale  as  the  last,  (six  feet  to 
an  inch,)  and  these  bridges  are  raised  somewhat  higher ;  in 
the  one  case  (fig.  1 70)  by  steps,  and  in  the  other  by  an  incline 
in  the  pathway.  They  were  prepared  and  put  up  for  Thomas 
Eccles,  Esq.,  of  Lower  Darwen,  Lancashire,  and  carry  foot- 
paths across  a  small  stream  in  the  grounds  of  that  gentleman. 
Wherever  bridges  are  used,  and  whatever  may  be  their  mate- 
rial or  character,  they  should  never  appear  to  spring  out  of  the 


308 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


bare  ground,  or  be  left  without  proper  support  and  furniture  in 
the  way  of  trees  and  shrubs.  And  the  some  observation  will  be 
applicable  to  viaducts.    This  provision,  moreover,  is  not  merely 


necessary  as  a  matter  of  safety  ;  for  no  extension  of  hand-rails 
or  parapet  walls  would  accomplish  the  same  end.  It  is  de- 
manded artistically,  to  relieve  and  soften  the  rigidity  of  line, 


Fte.  171. 


and  to  associate  the  object  better  with  the  natural  accompani- 
ments beyond.     And  where  embankments  have  to  be  made 


BRIDGES  AND   BOAT-HOUSES.  309 

at  the  ends  of  bridges,  to  cany  a  walk  or  road  easily  over 
them,  the  addition  of  masses  of  shrubs,  to  mask  those  embank- 
ments, is  all  the  more  urgently  required.  The  idea  thus  sought 
to  be  conveyed,  will  be  further  illustrated  by  reference  to  the 
last  three  engravings. 

Boats  are  seldom  desirable  on  a  small  piece  of  water,  as  they 
occupy  it  too  much,  seem  out  of  proportion,  and  reduce  its 
apparent  limits.  When  the  water  assumes  the  dimensions  of 
a  lake,  however,  and  there  are  islands  upon  it,  boats  become 
indispensable ;  and,  to  preserve  them,  some  kind  of  boat-house 
will  have  to  be  supplied.  In  the  grounds  or  park  attached  to 
a  Grecian  mansion,  a  boat-house  in  the  shape  of  a  classic 
temple  may  be  appropriate.  Ordinarily,  some  very  rustic 
kind  of  structure  will  be  decidedly  better. 

A  boat-house  may  take  the  form  of  a  miniature  Swiss  cottage, 
and  have  a  reading  or  shelter  room  over  the  part  in  which  the 
boats  are  kept,  with  a  good  balcony  towards  the  water,  to 
aiford  facilities  for  fishing.  It  may  thus  combine  three  objects. 
Or  it  may,  if  suited  to  the  style  of  the  house,  have  a  small 
open  Italian  pavilion  over  the  boat  department.  Or,  in  more 
picturesque  scenes,  it  can  be  made  in  the  very  rudest  form  of 
a  low  hut,  and  simply  be  thatched  with  reeds,  heather,  or 
straw.  In  each  of  these  cases,  however,  it  should  have  a  very 
bold,  flattish,  and  broadly-projecting  roof. 

9.  Arbours,  summer-houses,  and  covered  seats  of  all  kinds, 
may  be  very  convenient,  and  productive  of  much  comfort  in  a 
garden,  if  a  few  plain  rules  be  observed  in  their  construction. 
They  should  be  decidedly  dry,  and  therefore  must  never  be 
placed  in  a  low  or  damp  situation,  or  be  too  much  shaded,  or 
have  the  floor  simply  on  a  level  with  the  ground.  A  raised 
floor  will,  in  fact,  be  indispensable,  and  it  will  be  drier  and 
warmer  if  boarded,  or  if  open  wooden  stands  for  the  feet  to 
rest  upon  be  fixed  all  round  it  along  the  fronts  of  the  seats. 

Summer-houses  should  never  be  made  of  materials  that  will 
harbour  dust,  dirt,  or  insects.  Moss  or  heather  linings  will  be 
thoroughly  objectionable  on  this  account ;  for  they  will  never 


310  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

be  altogether  clean,  and  various  sorts  of  insects  will  be  en- 
couraged  to  lodge  in  them.  Rough  cushioned  seats  and  backs, 
or  green  baize,  in  arbours  that  are  open  to  the  weather,  will 
be  alike  bad  in  the  same  way.  And  wood  with  the  rough  bark 
on  is  only  a  trifle  better.  The  best  lining  for  them  is  small 
hazel  or  oak  boughs,  about  an  inch  in  diameter,  unstripped  of 
their  bark,  which  will  be  quite  smooth,  and  sawn  to  various 
lengths,  so  as  to  be  fixed  up  to  some  fancy  figures,  of  no  very 
elaborate  pattern.  This  will  be  clean,  and  dry,  and  ill  adapted 
for  the  encouragement  of  insects,  and  very  durable,  which  none 
of  the  other  things  named  are  at  all  likely  to  be. 

In  point  of  taste,  summer-houses  should  be  concealed  from 
the  windows  of  a  dwelling,  or  correspond  with  it  in  style.  A 
rustic  arbour  will  not,  however,  be  an  unfit  accompaniment  to 
a  building  in  the  Swiss  character,  or  even  to  some  kinds  of 
house  Gothic,  if  its  details  be  accommodated  thereto.  But  it 
would  be  entirely  inharmonious  with  a  building  in  the  Grecian 
or  Italian  manner,  which  demands  more  artistic  and  classical 
attendants.  Everything  rustic  should,  if  employed  at  all,  be 
planted  out  from  the  view  of  such  houses.  And  perhaps  the 
fittest  form  in  general  for  a  garden  decoration  of  this  sort  will 
be  some  truly  rustic  object,  made  of  rough  wood,  unbarked, 
thatched  with  reeds  or  heather,  and  partly  covered  with 
climbers,  (of  which  Ivy  should  be  one,  because  of  its  evergreen, 
nature,)  but  partly  supported  by  trees  and  shrubs,  out  of  the 
front  of  which  it  should  appear  to  spring. 

Fig.  172  represents  the  elevation  and  ground-plan  of  a  rustic 
summer-house  which  I  had  erected  for  David  Bromilow,  Esq., 
Haresfinch  House,  near  St.  Helens,  -and  is  made  simply  of 
unbarked  Larch,  and  thatched  with  heather,  the  interior  seat 
and  lower  part  being  fined  with  dressed  and  stained  deal.  It  is 
placed  on  a  mound  in  the  pleasure-grounds.  The  scale  is  8  ft. 
to  an  inch.  The  plan,  fig.  173,  is  for  a  covered  seat  at  the  end 
of  a  walk  in  the  grounds  of  J.  A.  Rose,  Esq.,  of  Wandsworth 
Common,  Surrey.  It  is  of  similar  material,  externally,  to  the 
foregoing  ;  but  the  roof  is  boarded,  and  covered  "with  the  same 


SUMMER-HOUSES. 


311 


wood  as  the  sides.  The  ground-plan  is  in  fig.  174,  and  the 
border  on  the  right  is  for  climbers,  the  whole  being  backed  up 
by  masses  of  evergreens.     The  smaller  ornaments  outside  are 


Fig.  172. 

to  be  made  of  hazel,  and  the  interior  is  to  be  fitted  up  with 
the  same  wood,  in  bars  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  and  a  half  diame- 
ter, with  the  bark  on. 

Neither  of  these  designs  is  submitted  because  it  possesses 
remarkable  merit,  but  merely  as  an  illustration  of  the  object 
of  the  text.  In  very  rural  or  picturesque  situations,  shelter- 
houses  or  reading-rooms  may  take  the  forms  of  a  rude  hut, 
and  can  hardly  be  made  too  bold  or  rugged  in  their  character. 

This  kind  of  erection  requires  to  be  placed  by  the  side  of  a 


312 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


walk,  or  at  the  end  of  one,  so  that  it  may  be  accessible  in  all 
sorts  of  weather.  And  it  should  likewise  be  put  where  it  will 
not  merely  seem  a  resting  or  shelter-house,  but  will  command 
some  view  of  the  garden,  or  house,  or  country,  that  appears  to 


Fig.  173. 

demand  dwelling  upon.  A  far  greater  meaning  and  propriety 
will  thus  be  imparted  to  it.  And  seats  of  every  class,  except 
those  which  are  put  beneath  trees,  solely  for  the  shade,  should 
in  like  manner  have  a  distinct  and  palpable  object,  of  drawing 
attention  to  points  of  landscape  that  invite  close  examination, 
beyond  the  common  purpose  of  supplying  rest. 

Temporary  arbours,  formed  of  a  few  long  branching  sticks, 
fastened  into  the  ground,  and  drawn  together  at  the  top,  or 
with  a  more  or  less  sinrple  or  ornamental  frame-work  of  wooden 


BOWERS   AND   ARBOURS. 


313 


or  wire-trellis,  and  covered  with  climbing  Roses,  Ivy,  Clematis, 
or  other  climbers,  or  with  some  pretty  summer  plant  of  suffi- 
cient luxuriance  and  strength,  will  furnish  an  agreeable  place 
for  retirement  and  shade  during  the  warmest  months ;  but  are 
not,  of  course,  fit  for  wet  weather  or  winter.    Even  a  weeping 


Fig.  114 

tree,  if  judiciously  attended  to  at  first,  and  not  made  too  arti- 
ficial, will,  by  having  a  seat  placed  under  it,  often  supply  a 
very  pleasant  bower  in  summer. 

The  old-fashioned  bowers  or  arbours,  which  were  frequently 
composed  of  Lime  trees,  (one  of  which  doubtless  gave  rise  to 
Coleridge's  beautiful  lines  entitled  "This  lime-tree  bower 
my  prison,")  are  now  rarely  met  with,  being  dark,  damp,  and 
difficult  to  preserve  with  any  degree  of  neatness.  The  tenden- 
cy of  the  Lime,  however,  to  bend  its  shoots  to  the  ground, 
when  unmolested,  and  strike  fresh  root  there,  has  occasioned 
an  extraordinary  specimen  in  the  gardens  at  Knowle  Park, 

14 


314  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

near  Sevenoaks,  Kent,  the  residence  of  Lady  Amherst.  It  is 
thus  described  in  a  brief  account  of  the  place  which  I  published 
in  1851.* 

"  Besides  other  strange  and  striking  examples,  there  is  an  old 
Lime  tree  on  one  of  the  lawns,  the  branches  of  which  having 
naturally  bent  downwards  towards  the  earth,  have  there  struck 
root,  and  it  is  now  surrounded  with  myriads  of  tufted  trees  of 
various  ages  and  sizes,  covering  altogether  an  immense  surface. 
The  parent  plant  is,  indeed,  beginning  to  decay,  and  some  of 
its  numerous  progeny  are  nearly  as  large  as  itself.  Around 
the  same  stem  a  sort  of  natural  bower  is  formed,  from  which 
there  are  many  little  winding  avenues  to  the  outside,  realizing 
most  perfectly  the  picture  of  the  Banyan,  and  its 

'  pillar  d  shade, 
High  overarched,  with  echoing  walks  between.'  " 

10.  Statuary,  vases,  and  similar  architectural  ornaments,  are 
the  fitting  associates  of  Grecian  and  Italian  houses,  and  appear 
less  suitable  in  relation  to  every  other  style.  Xot  that  such 
things  as  low  terrace  walls,  with  or  without  tracery,  pillars  for 
sundials,  ornamented  with  the  details  of  pointed  architecture, 
and  even  vases  or  urns  of  a  particular  form,  and  with  proper 
decorations,  will  be  faulty  in  connexion  wi,th  Gothic  buildings, 
and  formal  gardens  of  the  same  character.  Only,  the  varieties 
of  the  Grecian  style,  with  their  architectural  arrangement  of 
walks,  beds,  &c,  would  appear  most  to  correspond  with  and 
demand  such  ornaments  as  vases,  tazzas,  urns,  pillars,  sculp- 
tured figures,  basins  of  water,  with  fountains,  and  the  like 
things,  to  carry  out  and  finish  their  expression  and  design. 

It  may  be  worthy  of  consideration,  in  adapting  statuary  or 
sculptured  figures  to  the  purposes  of  garden  ornament,  whether 
there  is  not  an  unmeaning  anachronism  in  our  persevering 
adherence  to  the  old  classical  subjects  and  nude  representa- 
tions ;  and  how  far  it  may  not  be  desirable  to  break  from  such 

*  "  The  Parks,  Gardens^  &c,  of  London  and  its  Suburbs,  described  and 
illustrated." 


STATUARY,  VASES,  AND  OTHER  SCULPTURED  FIGURES.    315 

trammels,  and  present  rural  objects,  or  local  peculiarities  of 
costume,  or  some  artistic  embodiment  of  such  ideas  as  the 
country  and  a  garden  suggest.  For,  apart  from  the  mere 
beauty  of  form,  it  surely  cannot  be  fitting  that  the  subjects 
proper  to  a  sculpture  gallery  should  be  transferred  at  pleasure 
to  the  region  of  the  garden,  as  though  the  latter  could  claim 
no  style  of  embellishment  peculiar  to  itself. 

Besides  the  choice  of  subject,  however,  the  style  of  treatment 
in  garden  sculpture  requires  revision.  Excessive  smoothness, 
such  as  will  be  found  in  naked  figures,  is  a  great  charm  in 
works  that  are  to  be  examined  closely  and  in  the  house.  But, 
out  of  doors,  the  greater  ruggedness  of  drapery,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  rougher,  bolder,  and  more  prominent  parts,  such  as 
will  yield  shadows,  and  impart  picturesqueness,  will  be  more 
satisfying  to  the  eye,  and  more  in  harmony  with  natural  objects: 

Figures  that  are  composed  of  plaster,  and  coloured  nearly 
white,  have  a  very  paltry  look  in  a  garden,  especially  if  they 
are  so  small  as  almost  to  degenerate  into  images.  Plaster  vases, 
however,  or  rather  such  as  are  composed  of  what  is  termed 
artificial  stone,  or  terra-cotta,  will,  if  properly  coloured  and 
sanded,  scarcely  be  known  from  stone  at  a  little  distance.  And 
iron,  which  is  now  a  good  deal  used  for  making  these  things, 
answers  exceedingly  well,  if,  like  the  plaster,  it  be  duly  painted 
and  sanded. 

All  sculptured  ornaments  that  are  employed  in  thejieighbour- 
hood  of  Grecian  buildings,  should  be  classical  in  their  design, 
and,  of  whatever  material,  be  well  executed.  Any  inferior 
thing,  in  either  of  these  respects,  had  better  never  be  intro7 
duced.  Comparatively  few  manufacturers  seem  to  hit  upon 
pure  and  simple  forms  for  vases,  though  there  is  happily  a 
better  taste  beginning  to  prevail,  in  regard  to  all  such  subjects. 

Some  latitude  of  choice  is  allowable  with  respect  to  the 
positions  of  any  architectural  figures  in  a  garden.  They  ought 
not,  however,  to  be  placed  out  on  the  middle  of  a  lawn,  except 
in  very  rare  instances,  (such  as  sun-dials  occasionally,)  nor  can 
.they  usually  be  allowed  to  stand  on  bare  earth,  or  in  the  midst 


316  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

of  a  bed  of  flowers  or  shrubs.  The  fittest  side  for  them  seems 
in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  buildings,  on  or  near  low  terrace 
walls,  at  the  ends  of  walks,  on  gravel,  at  the  corners  of  a  square 
or  oblong  plot  that  is  surrounded  by  walks,  in  the  centre  of  a 
circular  plot,  or  in  the  middle  of  two  walks,  where  they  cross 
each  other. 

1 1 .  A  green-house  or  conservatory  is  a  luxury  which  few  who 
can  afford  it,  and  are  fond  of  plants,  will  be  disposed  to  forego. 
When  attached  to  the  dwelling-house,  which  is  at  once  a  con- 
venience and  a  disadvantage,  it  is  too  often  erected  as  an  after- 
thought, and  thus  appears  as  a  patch  to  the  building ;  or  is 
merely  tacked  on  to  it  by  the  architect,  as  a  part  of  the  first 
design,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  of  making  it  enter  into  the 
composition  of  a  structure.  The  difference  between  a  green- 
house and  a  conservatory  is  that  the  former  is  for  the  entire 
cultivation  of  plants,  and  the  latter  only  for  their  display  when 
in  a  flowering  or  otherwise  interesting  state.  The  mere  fact  of 
beine  attached  to  the  house  does  not  of  itself  form  a  distinction, 
unless  the  bulk  of  the  objects  in  it  are  planted  out  in  beds  or 
borders,  when  it  becomes  a  conservatory,  however  small  may 
be  its  dimensions,  or  however  it  may  be  otherwise  employed. 

If  united  to  the  house,  it  should  be  made  a  decidedly  archi- 
tectural object,  and  not  look  like  a  superfluous  appendage,  of  a 
different  character.  Light  iron  conservatories,  with  curvilinear 
roofs,  can  seldom,  if  ever,  be  properly  blended  with  the  rest  of 
the  building.  Sufiicient  lightness  and  elegance  may  always  be 
readily  attained,  without  such  incongruity.  The  front  of  a 
conservatory  in  the  position  under  notice,  should  generally  be 
as  high  as  the  ceiling  of  a  ground  floor  of  a  house,  and  its 
cornice  range  with  the  string  course  of  the  building,  if  there  be 
any.  The  roof  may  be  kept  as  low  as  possible,  so  as  to  be  very 
little  seen.  All  heavy  pillars,  mullions,  &c,  must  be  expressly 
avoided ;  for  one  of  the  most  vital  features  will  be  the  free 
admission  of  light,  if  plants  are  to  be  grown  in  the  house.  But 
if  intended  only  for  flowering  plants,  light  is  not  so  much  an 
object.     Liberal  provision  should  also  be  made  for  ventilation 


GREENHOUSES   AND   CONSERVATORIES.  317 

at  the  sides  and  in  the  roof;  and  a  trifling  command  of  heat 
will  be  absolutely  requisite.  The  best  aspect  would  be  south- 
east or  south-west. 

Although  having  a  conservatory  thus  within,  as  it  were,  the 
walls  of  a  dwelling,  makes  it  delightfully  accessible  at  all  seasons, 
and  gives  a  pleasant  object  through  one  of  the  drawing-room  or 
library  windows,  when  it  is  thus  entered,  yet  the  only  kind  of 
structure  that  can  consistently  be  built  in  such  a  situation  will 
not  be  fit  for  growing  plants  in ;  and  unless  an  additional  plant- 
house  be  possessed,  or  an  adequate  number  of  pits  and  frames 
to  maintain  a  perpetual  supply  of  blooming  plants,  a  house  of  a 
different  character,  in  another  position,  will  be  highly  desirable. 

A  conservatory  that  communicates  directly  with  one  of  the 
chief  entertaining  rooms  is  sometimes  found  objectionable,  on 
account  of  admitting  dampness,  an  earthy  smell,  or  the  odours 
from  fumigation  by  tobacco,  or  insects.  It  is  therefore  generally 
better  to  attach  them  by  a  glass  corridor,  or  interpose  a  small 
ante-room,  museum,  or  sculpture-room  between  them  and  the 
drawing-room,  or  remove  them  still  further  from  the  house, 
and  approach  them  by  a  covered  way.  It  is  no  doubt  very 
agreeable,  where  there  is  a  suite  of  rooms  terminating  in  a  con- 
servatory, to  be  able  to  open  them  to  the  latter  at  night,  for 
the  purposes  of  an  entertainment.  But  it  must  be  remembered, 
where  gas  is  used,  that  this  is' highly  injurious  to  plants,  and 
often  causes  them  to  throw  off  all  their  flower-buds. 

When  a  corridor  separates  the  conservatory  from  the  house, 
it  affords  an  opportunity  for  making  a  difference  of  level 
between  the  two  points.  And  a  conservatory  that  is  two  or 
three  feet  below  the  floor-line  of  the  house,  will  have  its 
flowers  much  more  favourably  displayed  from  the  window  or 
glass  door  that  may  lie  in  that  direction.  This  is  the  case  with 
the  conservatory  in  fig.  188,  and  the  effect  is  very  pleasing. 

No  conservatory  should  ever  be  put  on  the  entrance  front  of 
the  house,  which  is  an  inversion  of  all  rule,  and  presents  the 
best  feature  of  the  garden  first,  and  destroys  all  privacy.  Where 
a  house  is  very  near  a  public  road,  however,  and  there  is  not 


318  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

room  for  a  carriage-drive  within  the  gates,  or  it  is  desired  to 
have  the  bulk  of  the  place  seen  only  from  the  principal  windows 
of  the  house,  a  glazed  corridor,  of  sufficient  breadth  to  receive 
plants  on  both  sides  of  the  passage,  will  form  a  charming  en- 
trance porch ;  flowers  in  a  vestibule  or  lobby  always  appearing 
to  give  a  visitor  a  smiling  and  cordial  greeting. 

Sculpture  of  a  high  order,  in  marble,  or  marble  vases,  urns, 
tazzas,  &c,  can  be  most  fittingly  accommodated  in  archi- 
tectural conservatories,  whether  on  pedestals,  or  in  niches  and 
recesses.  Nothing  throws  out  and  relieves  marble  statuary  so 
well  as  dark-foliaged  plants,  such  as  Camellias,  &c. 

AVood  or  stone  will  be  superior  to  iron  as  the  material  for  a 
conservatory.  There  is  a  thinness  and  poverty  of  appearance 
about  iron,  which  is  particularly  prejudicial  to  architectural 
effect ;  and  its  use  is  also  incompatible  with  the  free  introduc- 
tion of  climbers. 

The  treatment  of  the  roof  in  a  conservatory,  whether  it  be 
the  exterior  or  interior,  is  a  point  of  great  moment.  In  general, 
the  roof  of  a  conservatory  (unless  it  be  Gothic)  should  be  rather 
flat ;  and,  if  the  style  be  Italian,  the  roof  may  overhang  con- 
siderably, and  have  light  cantalivers  beneath  the  eaves.  Small 
attics  or  lanterns  may  frequently  be  made  ornamental,  and  will 
be  useful  for  ventilation.  In  Gothic  conservatories,  cross 
beams  or  tie  pieces  may  render  the  interior  characteristic,  and 
give  additional  means  for  receiving  climbers.  Colour,  too, 
may  be  sometimes  employed  in  picking  out  the  mouldings  of 
the  rafters  ;  but  it  should  not  be  too  glaring. 

It  is  altoo-ether  a  mistake  to  ignore  entirelv  the  use  of  colour 
for  conservatories,  and  to  adhere  to  the  cold  and  monotonous 
white  which  is  most  frequently  selected.  A  warm  stone-colour, 
with  the  mere  sash-bars  painted  white, — or,  if  the  framework 
be  of  wood,  stained  deal  or  oak  graining, — will  be  greatly 
superior  to  white,  and  stages  (of  wood)  should  invariably  be 
painted  green. 

A  span-roofed  green-house,  detached  and  near  the  kitchen- 
garden,  if  only  a  moderate  height,  and  ranging  from  north  to 


GREENHOUSES.  .         319 

south,  will  be  in  every  sense  the  best  for  the  cultivation  and 
display  of  plants ;  since  in  it  they  will  be  brought  near  to  the 
light,  more  on  a  level  with  the  eye  of  the  observer,  and  very 
accessible,  both  for  examination  and  tendance.  It  is  indispen- 
sable, however,  that  it.be  not  high  in  the  roof,  and  have,  in 
fact,  only  sufficient  height  to  enable  persons  to  walk  comfort- 
ably inside.  But,  as  the  lowness  recommended  has  to  do  with 
the  health  of  the  plants,  and  not  with  the  external  appearance, 
it  should  never  be  buried  in  the  ground,  or  be  entered  by 
descending  steps.  It  is  better,  rather,  to  have  it  slightly 
raised  above  the  ground  level,  with  one  ascending  step  into  it, 
to  keep  it  quite  dry  and  airy.  The  object  of  its  standing 
north  and  south  is,  that  it  will  thereby  get  most  sun  at  all 
periods  of  the  day. 

In  the  interior  arrangement  of  such  a  green-house,  it  will  be 
well  to  have  the  principal  stage  along  the  centre,  with  a  nar- 
row one  against  either  wall,  and  a  walk  between  the  middle  and 
each  of  the  outer  stages,  the  entrance  being  at  one  or  both 
ends.  This  will  give  more  variety  than  if  the  path  were  down 
the  centre  alone,  and  afford  the  means  of  showing  the  plants 
more  perfectly.  The  stages  ought  not  to  be  more  than  three 
or  four  feet  from  the  glass,  the  side  ones  being  quite  flat,  and 
that  in  the  middle  in  a  series  of  ascending  shelves,  so  as  to 
exhibit  all  the  plants  well.  It  is  a  good  plan  to  have  stages 
made  of  narrow  bars  of  wood,  with  small  openings  between 
them,  to  let  the  drainage  from  the  pots  flow  away  freely,  and 
also  to  facilitate  the  process  of  cleaning ;  a  stage  with  open 
bars  being  much  more  easily  kept  clean  than  a  close  one. 

As  climbing  plants  form  one  of  the  greatest  ornaments  to  a 
green-house  or  conservatory,  and  do  not  injure  other  things  if 
they  are  properly  pruned  and  restrained,  means  should  always 
be  provided  for  growing  them  conveniently  and  well.  The 
common  mode  of  planting  them  in  pits  formed  beneath  the 
paths,  or  boxes  placed  below  the  stages,  is  open  to  serious 
objection,  on  account  of  depriving  the  soil  and  roots  of  all  light - 
and  air,  and  thus  prejudicing  the  production  of  flowers.     A  far 


320  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

preferable  course  is  to  keep  the  boxes  or  large  pots  containing 
them  on  the  shelves,  along  with  the  other  plants ;  and  thus 
secure  to  them  the  same  advantages  as  the  rest. 

Borders  and  beds  in  conservatories,  for  growing  the  plants 
in,  are  very  undesirable  in  a  limited  space,  as  plants,  when 
placed  in  the  free  earth  without  pots,  soon  become  large  and 
rambling,  when,  of  course,  only  a  small  number  of  them  can 
be  accommodated.  Where  the  specimens  are  mostly  large, 
however,  and  of  an  enduring  but  not  rapid  growing  character, 
it  may  sometimes  yield  a  finer  effect  to  have  them  plunged  in 
beds  on  a  level  with  the  floor  in  a  low  house,  without  taking 
them  from  the  pots. 

Some  modification  of  the  practice  just  mentioned,  or  the 
placing  of  plants  about  in  groups  and  singly  on  a  paved  floor, 
or  a  varied  disposal  of  the  stages,  will  relieve  any  kind  of  con- 
servatory of  the  extreme  tameness  and  want  of  character  so 
generally  prevalent,  and  convert  it  into  an  object  of  diversified 
and  constantly  changing  interest;  for  whether  it  be  in  the 
grouping  of  the  plants  on  a  floor  or  on  stages,  or  in  the  provi- 
sion of  spaces  for  passing  among  them  for  the  purposes  of 
inspection  or  culture,  a  conservatory  should,  in  a  certain  way, 
resemble  a  flower-garden,  and  be  treated,  to  some  extent,  as 
an  in-door  parterre.  The  simple  and  monotonous  stages  com- 
monly seen,  are  utterly  void  of  either  beauty,  art,  or  variety  ; 
and  a  complete  reformation  of  this  branch  of  gardening  is 
strongly  needed.  Perhaps  a  mixture  of  stages,  and  wire  or 
other  ornamental  baskets  and  vases,  and  specimens  placed  on 
the  floor,  would  occasion  the  highest  diversity,  and  afford  the 
greatest  scope  for  an  ingenious  display  of  plants. 

It  may  not  be  foreign  to  the  design  of  this  work  to  add  that 
any  method  of  partially  breaking  or  relieving  the  space  between 
the  glass  of  a  roof  and  the  tops  of  the  plants  on  the  stages,  or 
the  heads  of  visitors  in  the  paths,  will  get  rid  of  another  and 
very  manifest  defect  in  most  conservatories.  Allowing  climbers 
to  grow  a  little  loosely,  and  dangle  with  the  rafters,  will  do 
much  towards  accomplishing  this ;  but  a  point  which  has  more 


GKEENHOUSES  AND   CONSERVATOKIES.  321 

to  do  with  the  construction  will  be  to  furnish  hooks  or  staples, 
by  which,  at  various  parts,  climbing  or  trailing  plants  in  pots 
can  be  suspended  from  the  roof,  while  their  branches  are  left 
to  depend  gracefully  in  the  air.  The  wire  baskets  introduced 
at  the  Sydenham  Crystal  Palace,  and  now  (1858)  becoming 
common,  will  furnish  the  happiest  facilities  for  attaining  this 
end.  Adequate  contrivances  for  shading  will  further  require 
attention. 

Should  any  wall  of  a  conservatory  be  so  high  as  to  show 
much  above  the  plants  on  the  stages,  it  must  be  covered  with 
wire  rods  or  a  wooden  trellis  to  support  climbers,  as  a  blank 
white  wall  would  appear  very  bald  and  disagreeable  in  such  a 
place.  Many  pretty  mosses  or  Orchids  might,  however,  be  sus- 
pended on  blocks  of  wood,  or  in  rustic  or  wire  baskets,  against 
the  back  wall  of  a  conservatory,  if  the  temperature  were  never 
allowed  to  sink  very  low;  and  these  would  help  to  cover, 
enliven,  and  adorn  it. 

Hot  water  is  certainly  the  best  medium  for  heating  any  plant- 
house  :  and  the  simplest  and  least  complex  forms  of  apparatus 
will  be  preferable,  as  they  are  less  liable  to  become  deranged, 
and  can  soonest  be  brought  into  action.  When  sudden  and 
violent  frosts  occur,  the  difference  of  an  hour  in  the  diffusion  of 
heat  between  two  kinds  of  apparatus  hurriedly  brought  into 
use,  may  determine  the  safety  or  the  loss  of  an  entire  collection 
of  plants. 

Every  green-house  should  likewise  contain  a  cistern  for 
receiving  the  rain-water  from  its  roof,  in  order  that  water  of 
proper  quality  may  be  always  at  hand  for  the  use  of  the  plants, 
and  that  its  temperature  may  in  some  measure  assimilate  to 
that  of  the  house  itself. 

In  detached  green-houses,  a  position  not  far  from  the  kitchen- 
garden,  in  a  somewhat  private  corner  of  the  place,  where  a  small 
flower-garden  can  be  made  in  the  front,  and  a  shed  for  potting, 
for  a  heating  apparatus,  and  for  other  conveniences,  maybe  had 
at  the  back  without  being  thrust  into  notice,  will  be  very  appro- 
priate.    I  have  suggested  nearness  to  the  kitchen-garden,  or  to 

21 


322  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

the  garden-yard,  because  in  that  part  these  essentials  are  most 
likely  to  be  met  with. 

Pits  and  frames,  if  made  a  little  ornamental,  and  kept  neatly, 
and  heated  by  hot  water,  (and  not  by  stable  manure,)  can  be 
put  in  a  similar  place,  though  without  the  accompaniment  of 
the  flower-garden.  Or  they  may  be  kept  in  a  corner  or  on  one 
side  of  the  kitchen-garden,  or,  if  heated  by  manure,  have  a 
small  detached  yard  made  on  purpose  for  them  and  manures 
or  composts.  They  will  be  far  superior  to  any  green-house  for 
the  cultivation  and  propagation  of  plants,  and  will  be  less 
expensive  both  to  erect  and  to  maintain.  Even  a  green-house, 
indeed,  much  more  a  conservatory,  ought  rather  to  be  treated 
as  a  show-house  for  the  reception  of  blooming  plants.  They 
can  be  much  better  grown  in  pits  or  frames.  Hence,  to  have  a 
green-house  always  in  a  satisfactory  or  perfect  state,  two  or 
three  frames  or  pits,  which  will  hardly  be  wanted  in  summer, 
and  can  then  be  used  for  other  purposes,  will  be  absolutely 
necessary. 

Pits  that  have  a  span  roof,  and  are  not  higher  than  about 
three  feet  above  the  ground  in  the  centre,  will  be  the  most 
economical  and  convenient.  They  do  not  require  to  be  made  of 
nearly  such  heavy  materials,  and  can  be  attended  to  with  much 
greater  ease,  and  with  less  danger  of  injuring  the  frame  of  the 
lights,  or  breaking  the  glass.  The  lights  can  be  attached  to  the 
centre  by  a  slighter  and  more  open  hinge  than  those  commonly 
used,  or  by  a  hook  to  answer  the  purpose  of  a  hinge  ;  simply 
having  iron  pins  to  fasten  down  the  frame  in  very  windy 
weather. 

12.  It  has  before  been  intimated,  in  passing,  that  a  kitchen- 
garden  should  be  placed  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  be  as  near 
as  possible  to  both  it  and  the  stables,  communicating  with  each 
pretty  easily  and  directly,  and  without  the  necessity  of  going 
through  the  pleasure-grounds.  The  reason  of  these  things  is 
plain  and  simple.  As  a  kitchen  is,  itself,  generally  kept  at  the 
back  of  the  house,  and  a  kitchen-garden  has  to  be  in  commu- 
nication with  it,  the  two  should  be  in  close  proximity.     The 


KITCHEN  GARDENS.  823  < 

manure,  also,  from  the  stables  having  to  be  used  in  the  kitchen 
garden,  ought  to  be  capable  of  being  readily  applied ;  and  hence 
the  desirableness  of  connecting  the  two  parts  as  nearly  as  can, 
be  done. 

A  kitchen-garden,  being  intended  for  convenience  and  use, 
should  be  of  some  regular  figure,  and  have  the  walks,  beds,  and- 
borders  as  much  as  practicable  in  straight  lines,  and  at  right 
angles  from  each  other.  Any  different  arrangement  would  waste  ■ 
the  ground  to  no  purpose,  and  render  it  less  easily  worked. 

Where  practicable,  and  when  the  space  is  pretty  ample,  a 
kitchen-garden  will  be  warmer  if  entirely  walled  in,  and  the 
walls  will  supply  the  means  of  growing  a  number  of  the  better 
sorts  of  fruit  trees.  The  wall  on  the  side  nearest  the  north 
should  be  at  least  twelve  or  fourteen  feet  high,  and,  like  all  the 
rest,  should  have  a  coping  to  project  two  or  three  inches. 
There  may  also  be  a  good  plantation  behind  this  wall,  if  conve- 
nient, or  at  no  great  distance  from  it,  to  increase  the  shelter. 
The  side  walls  can  be  the  same  or  a  lesser  height ; — ten  feet  will 
probably  be  sufficient.  And  the  front  wall  should  not  be  higher 
than  six  feet,  or  five  feet  six  inches ;  or  its  place  may  be  supplied 
by  a  hedge,  if  absolute  enclosure  is  not  needed.  Where  a  plan- 
tation is  necessary  on  the  south  side  of  a  kitchen  garden,  to 
screen  it  from  the  pleasure  grounds,  it  should  be  composed  only 
of  shrubs. 

All  round  the  inside  of  a  kitchen-garden,  whether  it  have 
walls  or  not,  there  should  be  a  border  of  greater  or  less  width, 
that,  according  to  its  aspect,  the  various  kinds  of  suitable  plants 
that  take  up  little  space,  or  require  a  peculiar- position,  may 
find  their  proper  place.  Such  borders  are  still  more  requisite 
when  there  are  Avails,  to  give  space  for  the  roots  of  fruit  trees  to 
spread  in  them,  and  to  bring  the  trees  more  thoroughly  within 
reach.  They  may  vary  in  width  from  six  to  twelve  or  fifteen 
feet,  with  reference  to  the  size  of  the  garden,  and  the  kind  of 
tree  that  has  to  be  cultivated  in  them,  and  the  height  of  the 
walls.  Borders  with  a  warm  sunny  aspect  can  be  wider  than 
such  as  are  colder  and  more  shaded.  -      - 


324  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

On  the  inner  side  of  the  walks,  and  either  at  the  front  or 
back  of  another  small  border,  a  good  place  for  fruit  trees  treated 
as  espaliers  will  be  found.  When  walls  are  not  used,  or  there 
are  not  enough  of  them  for  growing  such  things  as  some  of  the 
better  kinds  of  Pear,  espalier  fences  will  be  a  good  substitute ; 
and  may  sometimes  be  employed  with  advantage  for  Apples 
likewise.  Strong  wire  fences,  about  six  feet  high,  for  espaliers, 
are  now  mostly  preferred  to  wooden  ones  for  appearance  and 
durability ;  and  they  are  also  more  convenient,  because  of  the 
smallness  and  roundness  of  the  bars.  In  the  absence  of  espa- 
liers, however,  these  inside  borders  may  be  appropriated  to 
dwarf  Pear,  Apple,  Cherry,  or  Plum  trees,  and,  if  the  space 
permit,  to  Gooseberries  and  Currants  as  well.  The  borders 
which  run  north  and  south  should  generally  be  devoted  to 
espalier  and  other  trees,  and  Gooseberry,  Currant,  Raspberry, 
or  other  bushes  be  put  on  the  borders  that  take  a  contrary 
direction.  This  rule  is  derived  from  the  amount  of  shade  cast 
by  trees,  however  dwarf  they  may  be. 

When  the  form  of  a  kitchen-garden  is  a  parallelogram,  the 
longest  sides  should  be  those  from  east  to  west,  that  a  greater 
length  of  south  wall  may  be  obtained.  And  if  there  be  a 
secondary  slope  in  the  ground,  as  well- as  one  to  the  south,  it 
should  be  to  the  west  in  preference  to  the  east ;  for  crops  that 
are  growing  on  an  eastern  bank  suffer  most  from  spring  frosts, 
in  consequence  of  their  catching  the  sun  so  much  earlier  in  the 
morning. 

Either  within  the  kitchen-garden,  or  not  far  from  it,  there 
should  be  a  moderately  large  cistern,  basin,  or  pool  of  water,  or 
a  pump  with  an  open  cistern  attached.  A  good  deal  of  water- 
ing is  sometimes  required ;  and  water  is  always  so  much  better 
for  plants  when  it  has  been  well  exposed  to  the  action  of  the 
air,  in  an  open  cistern  or  vessel. 

Somewhere  at  the  back  of  the  kitchen-garden,  one  or  more 
sheds  will  be  wanted  for  a  variety  of  uses,  together  with  a  yard 
for  rubbish,  manure,  compost,  &c,  and  which  last  should  be 
accessible,  at  some  point,  with  a  horse  and  cart.     Outside  the 


KITCHEN-GARDENS.  325 

kitchen-garden,  there  may  be  a  slip  too,  for  the  coarser  vege- 
tables, and  to  form  borders  for  fruit  trees  in  the  case  of  walls 
being  used. 

Perfect  drainage  is  particularly  essential  for  a  kitchen-garden, 
and  a  rather  deep  alluvial  soil.  Beyond  the  depth  of  two  feet, 
however,  any  ground  or  border  will  be  unfit  for  fruit  trees;  and 
for  the  better  kinds,  it  will  be  prudent  to  put  a  layer  of  stones 
and  rubbish  below  the  border  at  that  depth,  to  prevent  the 
roots  from  passing  away  too  far  from  light  and  air.  If  a 
kitchen-garden  be  on  a  slope  towards  any  point  near  the 
south,  it  will  be  drier  and  warmer,  both  of  which  would  be 
advantageous. 

A  kitchen-garden  may  sometimes  be  made  to  embrace  an 
ornamental  strip  of  ground  down  the  centre,  for  the  display  of 
flowers,  and  this  may  take  the  form  of  a  border  on  either  side 
of  a  grass  path,  or  of  a  series  of  flower-beds,  cut  out  of  grass,  on 
the  sides  of  a  gravel  walk.  In  both  instances,  the  dressed 
portion  should  be  well  defined,  and  separated  from  the  vegetable 
department,  by  hedges,  or  by  what  would  be  much  more  appro- 
priate and  useful — espalier  fruit  trees. 

Every  one  wTho  may  have  been  to  the  July  fetes  of  the  Horti- 
cultural Society,  at  the  Chiswick  gardens,  and  who  have  availed 
themselves  of  the  privilege,  accorded  by  theDuke  of  Devonshire 
on  those  occasions,  of  passing  into  the  grounds  attached  to 
Chiswick  House,  will  have  noticed,  by  the  sides  of  the  green 
path  through  the  kitchen-garden,  an  example  of  the  first  of  the 
practices  thus  recommended ;  there  being  usually  two  or  three 
rows  of  such  plants  as  Scarlet  Geraniums  and  Calceolarias, 
which,  from  the  length  of  the  lines,  acquire  a  striking  ap- 
pearance. 

I  shall  now  give  a  specimen  of  the  other  mode  of  treatment 
suggested,  as  well  as  a  sample  of  the  arrangement  of  plant  and 
fruit  houses,  planned  by  me  for  John  Noble,  Esq.,  of  Berry  Hill, 
near  Maidenhead.  The  plan  (fig.  175)  includes  the  kitchen- 
garden,  garden-yard,  and  contiguous  parts ;  and  although,  sub- 
sequently to  its  being  engraved,  the  course  actually  followed  has 


326  SPECIAL   DEPAKTMEXTS. 

involved  some  modification  of  the  design,  it  will  not  be  of  less 


Fie.  175. 


value  on  that  account.     A  public  road,  as  will  be  seen,  runs 


KITCHEN   GARDENS.  327 

along  the  east  side  of  the  garden,  and  nearly  parallel  with  it. 


Fig.  175. 
This  is  excluded  by  a  plantation  of  strong  evergreens.     The 


328  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

rural  character  of  the  garden,  too,  and  its  attachment  to  the 
rest  of  the  place,  (which  is  somewhat  marrow,)  is  preserved  by 
the  omission  of  a  garden-wall,  and  the  substitution  of  a  Yew 
hedge  around  it.  A  similar  Yew  hedge  is  continued  round  a 
small  flower-plot,  which  annexes  the  pleasure-grounds  to  the 
kitchen-garden,  and  becomes  an  appropriate  introduction  to  the 
flower-walk  which  runs  up  its  centre.  Light  arches,  canopied 
with  climbers,  are  suggested  at  59,  to  give  still  greater  propriety 
to  the  entrance  upon  this  walk. 

The  slope  of  the  garden  is  a  very  gentle  one  to  the  south, 
and  the  object  in  placing  the  glass  erections  at  the  north  end 
was  that  they  would  there  be  on  higher  ground,  and  have  a 
better  exposure  to  the  sun,  and  look  more  imposing  from  the 
entrance  to  the  garden,  and  be  more  conveniently  connected 
with  the  garden-sheds,  &c,  and  with  the  working-pits  and  the 
farm-yard.  This  site  determined  on,  and  the  desire  being  that 
some  of  the  houses  should  be  kept  for  plants,  and  that  all  should 
be  made  enjoyable,  it  became  a  matter  of  almost  necessity  to 
treat  the  central  walk  as  an  ornamental  one,  in  order  to  render 
the  hothouses  pleasantly  accessible  from  the  mansion  and  the 
pleasure-grounds.  To  provide  an  agreeable  accessory,  likewise, 
and  to  afford  views  of  a  hilly  and  wooded  country  to  the  west, 
as  well  as  to  communicate  suitably  with  a  wood-walk  on  the 
higher  and  more  northern  margin  of  the  property,  the  shrubbery- 
walk  along  the  western  side  of  the  kitchen-garden  has  been 
appended,  and  is  made  straight  in  so  far  as  it  follows  parallel 
lines  in  the  fences,  curving  round  a  circular  mass  of  shrubs  at 
either  end,  before  it  begins  to  depart  from  the  regular  line. 

With  this  preliminary  explanation,  I  shall  now  advert  to  the 
figures  of  reference,  the  purport  of  which  is  as  under: — 


1.  Flower-vases  on  pedestals,  in 

centres  of  flower-plot. 

2.  Andromeda  floribunda. 

3.  Irish  Yews. 

4.  Azalea  amcena. 

5.  Pemettya  mucronata. 


6.  Pyramidal  Pear-trees. 

7.  Standard  Roses. 

8.  Plant-stove. 

9.  Conservatory. 

10.  Greenhouse. 

11.  Vineries. 


KITCHEN   GARDENS. 


329 


12.  Peach-houses. 

13.  Borders  to  Vineries  and  Peach- 

houses,  with  broad  band  of 
grass,  and  flower-beds,  &c, 
in  front  of  them. 

14.  Garden-yard. 

15.  Plant-pits. 

16.  Pine-pits. 

17.  Cucumber  and  Melon-pits. 

18.  Rubbish-pit,  sunk  4  or  5  ft. 

19.  Manure-pit,  do. 

20.  Pruit-room. 

21.  Shed  for  Potatoes,  Roots,  &c. 

22.  Tool-shed. 

23.  Potting-shed. 

24.  Open   shed,  for  barrows,  soils, 

ladders,  &c. 

25.  Mushroom-house. 

26.  Young  men's  sleeping-room. 

27.  Young  men's  living-room. 

28.  Onion  and  seed-room. 

29.  Border  for  wall-fruit  trees. 

30.  Farm-yard. 

31.  Rows  of  dwarf  Apple-trees. 

32.  „       Espalier  Pear-trees. 

33.  Basin  for  water. 

34.  Andromeda  Jhribunda. 

35.  Berberis  Darvrinii. 

36.  Gedrus  deodara. 

37.  Hybrid   from   Mahonia  fascieu- 

laris. 

38.  Erica  lanceolaia. 

39.  Kalmia  latifolia. 

40.  Wellingtonia  gigantea. 


41.  Abies  orienialis. 

42.  Cephalotaxits  Fortunii.     (Female 

variety.) 

43.  Rhododendron  Cunninghamii. 

44.  Cnjptomeria  Lobbii. 

45.  Golden  Yew. 

46.  Berberis  Fortunii. 

47.  Pinus  insignis. 

48.  Irish  Yew. 

49.  Cedrus  deodara. 

50.  Tliuja  gigantea. 

51.  Taxus  adpressa. 

52.  Cupressus  macrocarpa. 

53.  Aucuba  japonica. 

54.  "Waterer's  Golden  Holly. 

55.  Abies  nobilis. 

56.  Beds  of  choice  Rhododendrons, 

with   weeping   Elms   in  the 
centre. 

57.  Yew  hedges,  about  5  ft.  high. 

58.  Existing    yard   for  pigs,  &c,  to 

be  transferred  to  30. 

59.  Arches  of  wood  or  wire,  to  be 

covered  with  climbing  Roses. 

60.  Pig-styes. 

61.  Loose  boxes,  for  hunting-horses, 

&c. 

62.  Cow-house. 

63.  Poultry-house. 
Shed  for  boiler,  &c 

„         roots,  &c, 
„         carts,  &c. 
cart-horses. 


64. 
65. 
66. 

67. 
68. 


„  implements,  &c. 
With  a  desire  to  render  this  place  conspicuously  attractive, 
Mr.  Noble  has  spared  no  expense  in  planting  the  shrubbery- 
walk  and  other  parts  of  the  grounds,  or  in  erecting  the  hot- 
houses. The  former  are  now  rendered  worthy  of  note,  in  com- 
parison with  their  size,  for  many  beautiful  and  costly  specimens. 
And  the  latter  I  would  especially  request  attention  to,  on 
account  of  their  being  more  complete  than  any  of  which  my 
limited  space  will  nllow  me  to  offer  an  illustration.  Indeed, 
there  are  comparatively  few  places  which  will  either  require  or 


330 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


admit  of  a  greater  number  of  glass  structures.  And  it  will  be 
found  that  these  and  their  appurtenances  have  been  carefully 
studied,  and  their  form  and  position,  with  regard  to  both  use 
and  effect,  very  deliberately  chosen. 

Rather  more  than  three  quarters  of  an  acre,  exclusive  of  the 
ornamental  parts,  is  occupied  by  the  kitchen-garden  just  de- 
scribed. That  now  to  be  spoken  of,  and  which  forms  part  of 
the  grounds  at  Norley  Hall,  near  Xorthwich,  Cheshire,  the 
seat  of  Samuel  "Woodhouse,  Esq.,  contains  about  half  an  acre,  but 
has  two  separate  outside  portions,  which  together  nearly  com- 
pose another  quarter  of  an  acre.  The  figure  (176)  includes 
some  of  the  pleasure-gardens  likewise.  In  this  figure,  the  house 
is  at  1,  the  house  offices  at  2,  some  of  the  minor  offices  at  3, 
the  house-court  at  4,  the  stables  and  their  accompaniments  (5) 
round  the  stable-court,  6,  the  farm-yard  at  7,  the  farm-buildings 
at  8,  a  rick-yard  at  9,  and  a  drying-ground  at  10.  There  is  a 
road  to  the  stable-lofts,  &c,  at  15,  to  avoid  entering  the  stable- 
court  with  hay  and  straw.    At  11,  is  a  small  scattered  parterre, 


Fi<?    176. 


having  some  of  the  beds  filled  with  low  evergreen  shrubs,  and 
12  is  an  oblong  rosery.  There  is  a  border  for  climbers  (13) 
round  the  wall  of  the  house-yard.     An  old  Sycamore  tree,  with 


.     KITCHEN   GARDENS.  331 

£  seat  around  its  stem,  is  at  14,  and  the  walk  encircles  it. 


10   0 


SCALE       OF      FEET 

SO  100  150 


tJ  i_4— !— r=rr=xz 


200 


Fig.  IT 6. 


There  is  a  back-road,  for  cattle,  from  the  farm-yard  to  the  park, 
just  beyond  this  point. 
All  tills  section  of  the  grounds  was  laid  out  in  1855,  and  the 


332  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

plan  for  the  remaining  half  was  prepared  and  executed  in  1856. 
It  is  this  latter  department  which  comprehends  the  kitchen- 
garden.  A  walk  continues  from  the  pleasure-grounds  across 
the  cattle-road,  and,  travelling  round  a  circular  mass  of  ever- 
greens, of  which  there  is  a  corresponding  mass  at  the  other 
end,  passes  along  the  front  of  the  kitchen-garden,  giving  access 
to  it  in  its  centre.  Pleasant  views  of  the  park  are  obtained 
from  this  walk,  and  there  are  some  large  irregular  borders 
between  it  and  the  plantation  of  shrubs  which  surrounds  the 
kitchen-garden,  and  similar  borders  by  the  sides  of  walks  lead- 
ing to  the  two  reserve  gardens.  The  taller  kinds  of  herbaceous 
plants,  with  Dahlias,  Hollyhocks,  &c,  are  intended  to  be  culti- 
vated in  these  borders. 

The  kitchen-garden  (1 V)  is  on  two  levels,  the  southern  divi- 
sion being  about  two  feet  higher  than  the  other.  The  first  is 
enclosed  by  a  Holly  hedge,  (30,)  like  the  reserve  gardens,  and 
there  is  a  bank,  covered  with  Cotoneaster,  (18,)  between  the 
two  parts.  The  northern  half  is  surrounded,  except  on  the 
south,  by  a  fruit  wall,  the  corners  of  which  are  rounded  off, 
as  shown,  to  adapt  them  better  to  the  contracted  space  behind. 
The  small  area  to  the  east  of  the  kitchen-garden  (19)  is  for 
herbs,  and  for  growing  a  reserve  of  flowers  to  supply  the 
flower-borders  in  the  pleasure-grounds.  The  corresponding 
area  on  the  other  side  (20)  is  for  forcing-pits  and  frames,  and 
for  such  plants  as  Rhubarb,  Sea-kale,  and  similar  things, 
that  require  largely  manuring,  and  create  litter.  There  is  a 
border  for  Vines  and  Peach-trees,  (21,)  in  front  of  two  Vine- 
ries (22)  and  a  Peach-house,  23.  In  the  garden-yard,  29,  is  an 
Onion  and  seed  room,  24,  a  fruit-room,  25,  an  open  shed,  26, 
a  potting  and  tool-shed,  27,  and  a  boiler-shed,  28.  A  public 
road  lies  to  the  north  of  the  garden,  and  gives  ready  access, 
for  carts,  to  the  garden-yard,  besides  affording  easy  communi- 
cation with  the  farm-yard  for  manure. 

A  somewhat  larger  kitchen-garden  will  be  found  in  fig.  188, 
at  p.  360,  within  the  homestead  of  Charles  Longman,  Esq. 
The  kitchen-garden  here  (13)  is  an  ample  one,  being  one 


KITCHEN   GARDENS.  333 

hundred  yards  long  by  forty  yards  wide,  and  having  a  supple- 
mentary part,  for  inferior  vegetables,  containing  about  1600 
square  yards  additional.  The  whole  of  these  two  areas  being 
walled  in,  there  is  most  extensive  accommodation  for  trained 
fruit  trees,  and  the  walls  of  the  capacious  garden-yards  behind 
are  partly  employed  for  the  same  purpose. 

Other  kitchen  gardens,  containing  about  half  an  acre,  are 
depicted  in  fig.  165,  and  fig.  189,  where  they  are  walled  in 
entirely;  as  is  a  smaller  one  in  fig.  154.  Another  of  about 
half  an  acre,  walled  only  on  the  north  and  east  sides,  is  shown 
at  fig.  185.  And,  for  a  place  of  moderate  pretensions,  where 
the  family  is  not  very  large,  and  where  such  things  as  winter 
potatoes  are  either  grown  on  the  farm  or  are  purchased  else- 
where, half  an  acre  is  about  an  average  size  for  a  kitchen- 
garden.  Larger  families  will  require  from  three  quarters  of  an 
acre  to  an  acre.  And  mansions  of  the  first  class  may  have 
from  two  to  four  acres  assigned  to  this  object. 

Kitchen-gardens  that  are  not  fenced  in  by  walls  have  some- 
times been  made  circular  in  form;  and  this  shape  may  be  useful 
in  adapting  itself  to  particular  situations,  and  in  appearing  to 
occupy  less  room.  In  general,  however,  curved  lines  in  a 
kitchen-garden  are  quite  incompatible  with  convenient  crop- 
ping ;  for  there  are  few  vegetables  that  an  orderly  gardener 
will  not  prefer  to  grow  in  rows.  In  a  kitchen-garden  which  I 
have  arranged  for  Gilbert  Henderson,  Esq.,  Recorder  of  Liver- 
pool, at  Rose  Trees,  on  the  margin  of  Derwentwater,  I  have 
obviated  the  above  objection  by  making  the  garden  itself  octa- 
gonal, with  the  walks  and  inclosing  hedges  in  this  form ;  and 
placed  an  irregular  belt  of  shrubs,  within  a  wire  fence  that  is 
circular  towards  the  field,  on  the  east,  north,  and  west,  around 
the  whole ;  thus  adapting  the  exterior  outlines  to  the  gently 
undulating  surface  of  the  ground,  and  to  the  curves  in  the 
neighbouring  plantations. 

Orchards,  when  they  are  allowed  a  separate  existence,  can  be 
treated  as  an  adjunct  to  the  kitchen-garden,  and  be  connected 
with  it  by  suitable  walks.    For  several  years  after  their  forma- 


834  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

tion,  the  ground  in  them  should  be  cultivated  and  cropped, 
among  the  trees.  Eventually,  they  may  be  laid  down  with 
grass,  and  treated  as  paddocks.  All  the  trees  in  them  should 
be  of  the  standard  kind,  and  may  include  the  less  choice  or  less 
tender  sorts  of  Apple,  Pear,  Plum,  and  Cherry,  with  a  few 
Damson  trees.  They  should  all  be  planted  in  rows,  and  may 
stand  about  twenty  feet  apart. 

13.  An  aviary  may  occasionally  be  a  very  pretty  feature  in  a 
garden,  and  give  a  character  to  a  spot  that  would  be  otherwise 
dull  or  defective.  It  will  be  proper  in  almost  any  of  the  sites 
which  have  been  declared  suitable  for  summer-houses ;  and  can 
be  made  rustic,  or  trellised,  or  architectural,  as  the  locality 
may  demand.  It  ought,  however,  by  all  means  to  be  sheltered, 
and  sunny,  and  dry,  or  the  birds  will  never  be  healthy ;  and 
to  be  kept  close  and  heated  artificially  for  tender  birds,  or  more 
open  and  airy  for  such  as  are  hardier.  It  should  be  efficiently 
paved,  or  floored  with  asphalte,  to  exclude  vermin.  A  recess 
at  the  back  or  end  of  a  conservatory  is  sometimes  selected  for 
canaries  and  birds  from  warmer  climates,  and  is  particularly 
appropriate  for  any  song-birds ;  their  notes  seeming  to  sound 
more  natural  and  tuneful  among  plants  and.  flowers. 

For  bees,  the  kitchen-garden  is  a  more  congenial  place ;  though 
a  neat  set  of  hives  would  not  be  an  unfit  decoration  to  the 
pleasure-grounds,  in  a  private  part.  They  ought  to  have  plenty 
of  sun,  and  some  shelter,  and  be  kept  at  a  distance  of  several 
feet  from  a  walk,  that  persons  may  pass  by  without  interrupt- 
ing them,  or  incurring  the  danger  of  being  stung. 

Everything  in  the  shape  of  grottoes ,  when  they  take  the  form 
of  a  cavern,  is  disagreeable,  and  injurious  to  health.  But  if  dry 
and  above  ground  they  are  less  objectionable.  A  rustic  exterior 
will  commonly  be  the  most  consistent,  and  therefore  they  should 
be  placed  where  they  cannot  be  viewed  from  the  house.  Some 
kind  of  spar  will  probably  make  the  fittest  interior  lining; 
though  shells  are  tolerable  if  not  worked  into  too  fantastic 
shapes,  and  made  too  toy-like.  Masses  of  rock,  roots,  portions 
of  half-decay e,d  old  trees,  or  rugged  arms  of  trees  with  the  bark 


LODGES   AND    ENTRANCES.  835 

remaining,  are  suitable  materials  for  the  outside,  Grottoes 
are  very  rarely  to  be  coveted,  either  as  picturesque  objects  or 
resting-places ;  a  good  summer-house  being  capable  of  quite  as 
much  rusticity,  and  far  more  comfort. 

14.  Although  lodges  will  seldom  be  needed  in  a  small  place, 
it  may  be  well  to  offer  a  few  suggestions  respecting  them,  with 
an  eye  to  cases  in  which  they  can  be  legitimately  introduced. 
Unless  a  drive  is  long  enough  to  carry  the  entrance  so  far  from 
the  house  that  the  lodge  would  not  be  seen  from  it,  the  erection 
of  a  lodge  at  all  will  be  very  questionable  ;  for  one  of  the  first 
requisites  is,  that  it  should  not  come  into  view  from  the  windows. 

The  smaller  the  place,  and  the  shorter  the  drive,  the  more 
quiet,  and  modest,  and  low  should  be  the  entrance  lodge.  Some- 
times, however,  in  peculiar  situations,  the  offices  of  the  house, 
or  other  buildings,  may  be  so  lengthened  out  as  that  the  lodge 
will  form  a  portion  of  the  entire  group,  when  it  may  properly 
have  an  upper  as  well  as  lower  floor.  In  general,  however,  it 
should  be  all  on  one  floor,  and  ought  always  to  correspond  with 
the  style  of  the  house,  being  rather  plainer  in  its  character  than 
more  ornamental.  It  must  likewise  blend  with  the  entrance- 
gates  and  gate-piers  in  its  character  and  fittings. 

A  lodge  should  be  so  placed  as  to  command  the  best  view  of 
the  gates,  to  which  it  must  be  near  enough  to  appear  to  belong 
to  them ;  and  it  should  also  overlook  as  much  of  the  outside 
road  and  of  the  drive  as  possible.  For  this  last  reason,  it  is 
better  to  put  it  on  the  inner  side  of  the  curve  which  the  drive 
may  take,  where  this  is  at  all  practicable.  A  few  flowers  and 
flowering-shrubs  around  a  lodge  will  be  proper  accompani- 
ments to  it  as  a  dwelling,  and  will  make  it  appear  lively  and 
pleasant.  There  should  not  be  any  regular  garden  attached  to 
it,  however.  A  small  porch,  with  climbers,  where  the  style 
will  allow  it,  is  always  pretty,  cottage-like,  useful,  and  attract 
tive.  Even  a  plain  covered  way  round  two  or  three  of  its 
sides,  supported  by  rude  pillars  for  climbing-plants,  will  be  a 
congenial  and  delightful  feature  in  summer. 

The  position  of  a  lodge,  and  the  form  which  wing  walls  to  an 


336 


SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 


entrance  may  assume,  will  receive  additional  illustration  from 
the  four  examples  now  to  be  adduced.  Fig.  177  shows  the 
entrance  to  an  exceedingly  delightful  place  in  the  valley  of  the 
Lune,  about  three  miles  above  Lancaster,  which  I  am  arranging 


Fig.  17*7. 

for  Adam  Hodgson,  Esq.,  of  Liverpool.  It  is  called  Scarthwaite, 
and  the  house  is  planted  on  the  spot  which  has  been  aptly 
described  by  the  poet  Gray  as  presenting  "  one  of  the  best 
afternoon  views  in  England."  The  site  is  an  elevated  plat- 
form, with  a  sudden  crook  in  the  river  immediately  below  it, 
and  a  long  winding  stretch  of  river  extending  up  the  valley  to 
the  east,  the  valley  being  closed  in  at  its  head,  by  the  highest 
of  the  Yorkshire  hills — Ingleborough.  To  the  south-east  and 
south,  there  is  a  most  picturesque  and  varied  hill,  partially 
clothed  with  woods,  and  always  presenting  the  most  striking 
diversity  of  colour.  On  the  north  side,  within  the  estate,  is  a 
wooded  eminence,  scarred  with  rock,  and  broken  by  an  old 
quarry.    And  the  place  has  had  the  advantage,  in  the  disposal 


LODGES  AND   ENTRANCES. 


337 


of  its  woods,  of  artists  no  less  distinguished  than  Mr.  Gilpin  and 
Sir  John  Nasmyth. 

The  entrance  is  in  the  bay  of  a  curve  in  the  high  road,  and 
the  lodge  is  a  successful  production,  in  the  cottage  Gothic 
style,  of  Mr.  H.  P.  Horner,  of  Liverpool.  It  is  proposed  to  erect 
low  walls  between  the  piers  shown  in  the  wing  fences,  and  put 
a  low  iron  fence,  composed  of  two  or  three  strong  horizontal 
bars,  with  only  the  necessary  uprights  at  intervals,  on  the  top 
of  these  walls.  The  drive,  which  is  only  between  300  and  400 
yards  long,  will  be  kept  entirely  within  the  enclosure  of  the 
dressed  grounds. 

Fig.  187  shows  the  entrance  to  Halton  Grange,  near  Runcorn, 


Fig.  118. 


the  residence  of  Thomas  Johnson,  Esq.  The  lodge  here  being 
in  the  Italian  character,  and  the  walls  about  the  gates  being 
treated  in  a  more  elaborate  architectural  manner,  there  is  a 

15 


338 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


propriety  in  making  them  concave  to  the  high  road.  The 
drive  too,  being  much  longer,  and  there  being  another  gate  at 
the  point  where  the  pleasure  grounds  are  entered,  the  planta- 
tions have  to  be  fenced  in  separately,  as  shown  by  the  dotted 
lines,  and  the  wire  fence  on  the  left  includes  the  small  grass  plot 
around  the  lodge.  This  entrance  is  close  to  the  boundary  of 
the  property,  that  being  the  side  on  which  Runcorn  lies,  and 
it  being  nearly  always  approached  from  that  quarter. 

The  plan,  fig.  179,  exhibits  an  entrance  of  a  more  imposing 


class,  and  belongs  to  a  much  more  extensive  property.  It  is 
the  principal  approach  to  Leighton  Hall,  near  Welshpool,  the 
seat  of  John  Naylor,  Esq.  The  wing  walls  and  lodge  are  of 
the  same  material  as  that  described  in  p.  186,  in  reference  to 
the  garden  decorations,  and  there  is  an  elaborate  and  massive 


LODGES   AND   ENTRANCES. 


339 


archway  for  carriages,  with  side  arches  for  foot-passengers. 
The  ogee  form  of  the  wing  walls  is  in  itself  elegant,  and  is 
adapted  to  the  Gothic  style  of  the  lodge  and  mansion. 

My  last  illustration  of  this  class  (fig.  180)  is  drawn  from  a 


Fig.  180. 

new  entrance,  sketched  by  me,  to  the  property  of  Sir  Robert 
Gerard,  Bart.,  at  Garswood.  The  point  of  entrance  here  is 
particularly  happy,  being  at  the  junction  of  four  roads ; — a  cir- 
cumstance that  is  often  of  itself  sufficient  to  determine  the  posi- 
tion of  some  kind  of  inlet  to  a  place.     Being  intended  chiefly  for 


340  SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 

the  St.  Helens  road,  however,  it  is  called  the  St.  Helens  entrance, 
to  distinguish  it  from  two  other  approaches  to  the  hall.  And 
as  the  property  around  it  belongs  to  Sir  Robert  Gerard,  the 
corners  between  the  contiguous  roads  are  intended  to  be  cut  off 
from  the  fields  behind  them,  and  planted  in  the  manner  shown, 
being  kept  in  grass,  and  separated  from  the  roads  only  by  an 
open  fence  of  posts  and  chains.  In  this  way,  there  will  be  a 
certain  amount  of  suitable  furniture  all  around  the  entrance. 
The  wing  fences  will  be  of  ornamental  iron,  on  a  proper  plinth, 
and  will  extend  on  either  side  as  far  as  the  last  piers  shown  in 
the  sketch,  where  they  will  be  joined  by  the  park  wall.  The 
gates,  of  which  there  will  be  one  for  carriages,  and  two  for 
foot-passengers,  will  be  of  similar  material.  The  drive  is  only 
straight  in  so  far  as  it  passes  through  an  old  plantation,  which 
is  kept  as  an  enclosure.  After  leaving  this,  it  will  curve  gently 
to  the  right,  across  the  park,  to  the  hall. 

In  each  of  the  plans  thus  given,  the  lodge  is  supplied,  in  its 
rear,  with  a  small  enclosed  yard,  containing  the  usual  conve- 
niences. All  the  lodges,  too,  are  on  one  floor  only,  and  all  are 
more  or  less  embosomed  in  trees.  The  scale  of  the  four  j)lans 
is  a  uniform  one  of  66  feet  or  one  chain  .to  an  inch. 

Double  lodges,  one  on  either  side  of  entrance  gates,  have  a 
great  air  of  pretension  about  them,  and  can  seldom  be  justified 
by  necessity.  The  only  way,  indeed,  in  which  they  can  be 
rendered  tolerable  is  by  connecting  them  with  a  central  arch- 
way, or  otherwise  working  them  up,  with  the  aid  of  walls,  into 
one  group ;  the  lodges  themselves  being  partly  thrust  out  beyond 
the  walls.  Even  then,  however,  their  use  is  very  questionable, 
unless  the  entrance  to  a  place  should  happen  to  terminate  the 
street  of  a  town  or  village,  when  two  lodges,  corresponding 
in  position  and  character,  may  possibly  be  made  effective. 

15.  Certain  localities,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  sea-coast, 
are  so  liable  to  a  visitation  of  violent  gales,  bringing  with  them 
such  quantities  of  saline  matter,  that  scarcely  anything  in  the 
way  of  trees  and  shrubs  can  be  induced  to  five  in  them,  much 
less  to  become  ornamental.     And  where,  as  is  frequently  like- 


SEA-SIDE  GARDENS.  341 

wise  the  fact,  the  surface  of  the  land  is  covered  solely  with 
sterile  sands,  which,  unless  clothed  with  vegetation,  are  con- 
stantly shifting  their  position,  it  is  the  more  important  that 
some  definite  rule  of  treatment  shall  be  established,  which  shall 
at  least  help  to  mitigate  or  remedy  the  evil,  and  give  a  special 
sort  of  interest  to  a  place.  This  renders  it  proper,  therefore,  to 
devote  a  few  words  separately  to  seaside  gardens. 

The  mode  of  arrangement  which  I  have  found  most  satis- 
factory under  such  circumstances,  is  to  give  great  prominence 
to  grass  in  a  garden,  and,  by  banks  of  varied  form  and  height, 
to  secure  some  degree  of  diversity,  obtaining  shelter  also  by 
depressing  certain  parts  of  the  lawn,  and  throwing  these  into 
the  shape  of  a  sunk  panel.  Fig.  181  will,  perhaps,  more  fully 
explain  my  meaning ;  this  being  the  plan  of  a  portion  of  the 
garden  to  be  attached  to  a  villa  proposed  to  be  erected  at 
Birkdale,  near  Southport,  for  Allan  Kaye,  Esq.  The  land  is 
close  to  the  sea-shore,  and  is  composed  entirely  of  sand.  The 
place  is  open  to  the  full  violence  of  the  north-westerly  gales. 

In  the  plan,  1  is  the  house,  2  the  house-yard,  3  the  stables 
and  similar  outbuildings,  4  a  part  of  the  stable  yard.  There  is 
a  descending  terrace  bank,  two  feet  deep,  at  5,  vases  on  pedestals 
at  6,  another  descending  grass  bank,  four  feet  deep,  at  8,  a  sunk 
level  lawn,  which  might  have  a  few  flower-beds  upon  it,  or  be 
used  as  a  bowling-green,  at  9,  a  strong  close  wooden  fence 
along  the  sea-shore,  at  10,  and  a  path  to  the  sea-shore,  which 
would  be  common  to  this  house  and  to  a  contiguous  villa,  at  11, 
the  path  being  kept  low  where  it  passes  the  pleasure  garden. 
The  dotted  line,  7,  merely  shows  the  edge  of  the  bank,  from 
whence  the  ground  drops  rapidly  to  the  shore. 

Such  peculiarities  as  the  altered  surface  of  the  ground  will 
present,  may  be  better  understood  from  the  section,  fig.  182, 
which  is  to  the  same  scale  (vertical  and  horizontal)  as  the  plan, 
and  is  made  from  the  line  A  to  B  on  the  latter.  By  this  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  ground  on  the  south  or  entrance  front  of  the 
house  is  to  be  five  feet  below  the  ground  immediately  north  of 
the  house.    This  is  purposely  designed  to  act,  in  connexion  with 


342 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


the  house,  outbuildings,  and  walls  from  them,  as  a  shelter  to  the 
south  garden.     And  as  the  sand  is  so  easily  and  inexpensively 


Fig.  181. 
removed,  almost  anything  may  be  done  with  it.     The  section 


SEA-SIDE   GARDENS.  343 

will  further  show  the  drops  and  depressions  in  the  north  garden, 
and  the  slope  to  the  northern  boundary.  This  slope  is  to  be 
densely  covered  with  Poplars,  Willows,  Wych  Elms,  and  Syca- 
mores, which,  when  growing  in  masses,  will  rise  five  or  six  feet 


iL<-~iL-'..*l':...:~. :  _ />— J 


Fig.  183. 

above  the  top  of  the  bank,  and  thus  produce  a  fringe  of  sum- 
mer foliage,  as  well  as  impart  additional  shelter  to  the  sunk 
lawn.  The  planting  at  the  sides  will  be  of  a  similar  descrip- 
tion, with  double  and  single  Furze  to  give  a  little  evergreen 
clothing  at  the  edges. 

By  the  variation  of  line  in  the  terrace  banks,  then,  and  by 
having  the  entire  lawn  very  evenly  laid  and  nicely  kept,  the 
want  of  shrubs  and  flowers  will  in  some  degree  be  counter- 
balanced, and  there  will  be  scarcely  any  bare  ground  for  the 
wmd  to  act  upon.  In  preparing  the  ground  for  either  grass 
or  planting,  here,  it  is  customary  to  fix  the  sand  by  spreading 
over  it  a  coating  of  mud,  which  is  obtained  en  the  sea-shore, 
and  is  of  a  somewhat  tenacious  or  clayey  nature.  And  it  is 
remarkable  how  such  trees  as  Sycamores  will  contrive  to  draw 
support  from  the  mere  sand,  by  striking  their  roots  deep,  and 
transforming  them  into  a  fleshy  instead  of  a  woody  substance. 
In  removing  some  old  Sycamores  from  a  similarly  sandy 
locality  several  years  ago,  I  found  that  their  roots  had  entered 
into  the  sand  to  the  depth  of  ten  and  twelve  feet,  and  that 
these  roots  were  of  a  succulent  nature,  and  fully  half  an  inch 
in  diameter  throughout. 

16.  Another  description  of  place  that  calls  for  a  brief  special 
notice  is  the  tow?i  or  suburban  garden,  which  is  commonly  a 
narrow  strip  of  land,  but  little  if  any  wider  than  the  house 
which  stands  upon  it,  and  varying  in  depth  according  to  the 
value  of  land  in  the  neighbourhood,  or  the  position  of  the 
adjoining  roads.    For  gardens  of  such  a  class  and  shape,  there 


344  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

can  be  little  question  that  the  most  regular  plan  of  arrange- 
ment will  be  in  all  respects  the  best.  The  walks  should  be 
straight,  and  at  right  angles,  and  the  beds  and  clumps  be 
symmetrical  and  well-balanced.  A  walk  on  either  side  of  such 
a  garden,  or  one  down  the  centre,  will  be  preferable  to  having 
a  walk  on  only  one  side.  And  effect  may  be  aimed  at  in  the 
way  of  lines  or  rows  of  beds  and  plants,  with  a  summer-house, 
a  small  green-house,  a  vase,  a  cluster  of  shrubs,  or  other 
pleasing  object  to  terminate  the  little  avenue  thus  created. 

As  much  of  open  lawn  as  is  practicable,  and  a  predominance 
of  evergreens,  will  be  desirable  for  such  gardens  ;  since  these 
will  be  agreeable  at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  And  extreme 
smoothness  and  neatness  of  finish  and  of  keeping  are  essential. 
The  beds  introduced,  too,  should  be  scrupulously  simple  in 
form  and  arrangement. 

A  specimen  of  a  rather  peculiar  town  garden  will  be  found 
in  fig.  183,  which  is  a  plan  of  the  garden  of  John  Johnson, 
Esq.,  in  the  town  of  Runcorn.  The  house,  1,  offices  of  various 
kinds,  2,  and  stable-buildings,  &c,  are  all  in  one  block.  There 
are  two  vineries  at  3,  and  a  greenhouse  at  4,  with  garden-sheds 
behind  them ;  and  these  are  also  in  one  block.  At  5,  there  is 
a  melon  pit,  6  is  a  basin  of  water  and  a  small  fountain,  in  the 
centre  of  a  flower-pot,  7  is  a  summer-house,  8  borders  for  vines, 
9  a  border  for  flowers  and  climbing  plants,  and  10  a  little 
strawberry,  herb,  and  salad  garden,  which  is  four  or  five  feet 
higher  than  the  parts  about  the  house,  and  is  separated  from 
these  by  a  bold  retaining  wall,  30.  This  latter  is  only  about 
three  feet  high,  and  there  is  a  grass  slope  behind  it,  with  a  few 
specimens  and  groups  of  shrubs,  to  prevent  the  cultivated 
ground  from  being  seen  in  the  lower  garden. 

The  high  road  or  street  is  to  the  north,  and  the  Bridgewater 
Canal  and  towing  path  on  the  south  side  of  the  place.  The 
wholegardenisnecessarilyenclosedbywalls,except  immediately 
in  front  of  the  plot  by  the  entrance,  where  there  is  a  light  iron 
railing.  The  discrepancy  in  the  lines  of  the  house  and  the 
offices,  and  the  want  of  squareness  in  the  southern  boundary, 


Fig.  183. 


346  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

give  the  plan  a  somewhat  awkward  look,  which  is  not  noticed 
in  the  ground.  The  former  evil  is  mitigated,  too,  by  the  masses 
of  shrubs  (29)  placed  in  the  corners  of  the  lower  southern  plot. 
Those  beds  appropriated  to  flowers  will  be  easily  distin- 
guished. The  small  avenue  of  circles  is  opposite  one  of  the 
drawing-room  windows,  and  these  beds  are  meant  to  be  occu- 
pied with  only  two  sorts  of  plants,  of  striking  colours,  placed 
alternately.  The  specimen  shrubs  and  the  masses  of  plants  are 
nearly  all  numbered ;  the  clumps  that  are  without  numbers 
representing  a  mixture  of  shrubs,  of  which  there  is  room  for 
few  besides  evergreens. 


11.  Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

12.  Golden-blotched  Holly. 

13.  Hodgins's  Holly. 

14.  Black-leaved  Laurustinus. 

15.  Cluster  of  Rhododendron  ferru- 

gineum. 

16.  Andromeda  floribunda. 

17.  Irish  Tews,  to  be  kept  at  a  uni 

form  height  of  3  ft. 

18.  Half-standard  Roses,   all   2  ft. 

high. 

19.  Pernettya  mucronata. 

20.  Common  Laurustinus. 

21.  Aucuba  japonica. 


22.  Ilex  marginata. 

23.  Erica  mulliflora. 

24.  Garrya  elliptica. 

25.  Cotoneader  microphylla. 

26.  Tree  Ivy. 

27.  Berber  is  aquifolium. 

28.  Variegated  prickly  Holly. 

29.  Clumps  composed  chiefly  of  Rho- 

dodendrons. 

30.  Ornamental  retaining  wall,  3  ft. 

high. 

31.  Border    for    fruit-trees,     to    be 

trained  to  wall. 


Altogether,  the  garden,  house,  other  buildings,  and  yards 
of  this  place, cover  about  half  an  acre. 

A  similar  space  is  occupied  by  the  suburban  garden,  fig.  184, 
the  plan  of  which  fills  the  two  next  pages.  It  was  made  in 
1855  for  T.  R.  Hoare,  Esq.,  of  Kingston,  Surrey.  The  house 
stands  in  the  centre  of  a  cluster  of  three,  by  the  side  of  the 
Thames,  and  has  a  good  view,  across  the  water,  of  Hampton 
Court  palace  and  park,  from  the  western  or  entrance  front. 
The  existence  of  a  few  old  trees  upon  the  ground  has  somewhat 
governed  the  arrangement  of  the  plan,  and  cause  the  two  walks 
to  be  at  unequal  distances  from  the  walls.  It  has  also  rendered 
it  impossible  to  have  a  border  on  the  north  side  of  the  garden, 
which  would  have  b.  on  an  excellent  situation  for  flowers  and 


SUBURBAN  VILLA   GARDENS. 


347 


climbers.  But  the  value  of  these  trees  in  excluding  neighbour- 
ing houses,  and  in  diminishing  the  hardness  of  the  outlines,  and 
the  general  appearance  of  newness,  is  too  great  to  allow  of  their 
being  sacrificed. 

With  the  exception  of  this  slight  difference,  the  walks  are 
disposed  quite  regularly,  and  large  vases  are  placed  (11)  at  the 
points  where  they  diverge,  and  pass  around  the  flower-pot. 
The  corners,  by  the  stables,  are  left  for  rubbish,  (32,)  and  for 
a  general  garden-yard,  with  a  tool-shed  (12)  in  it.  They  are 
surrounded  with  a  rustic  or  trellis  fence.  Some  degree  of 
irregularity  is  attempted  in  the  treatment  of  the  lawn,  as 
regards  the  placing  of  the  shrubs  and  flower-beds;  variety 
being  better  attained  by  this  means.  The  lawn  east  of  the 
terrace  bank  (4)  is,  however,  quite  flat,  and  the  centre  is  left 
wholly  unencumbered.  The  border  along  the  south  side  of 
the  garden  is  used  for  such  climbers  as  will  thrive  on  a  north 
wall,  and  specimen  evergreens  are,  as  will  be  noted,  freely 
introduced.     The  figures  refer  to — ' 


1. 

Aucuba  japonica. 

21. 

Cydonia  japonica. 

2. 

Irish  Yew. 

22. 

Cup>7-essus  macrocarpa. 

3. 

Laurustinus. 

23. 

Sweet  Bay. 

4. 

Terrace-bank  of  grass,  4  ft.  high. 

24. 

Cupressus  torulosus. 

5. 

Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

25. 

Yellow-berried  Holly. 

6. 

Large  old  Elm-trees. 

26. 

Siberian  Arbor-Yitae. 

7. 

Common  Holly. 

27. 

Silver  Holly. 

8. 

Silver  Holly. 

28. 

Chinese  Juniper. 

9. 

Narrow-leaved  Alaternus. 

29. 

Garrya  eUiptica. 

10. 

Ilex  balearica. 

30. 

Irish  Juniper. 

11. 

Yases  for  flowers,  on  pedestals. 

81. 

Arbutus  unedo. 

13. 

Spircea  Lindleyana. 

33. 

Half-standard  Rosea. 

14. 

Golden  Holly. 

34. 

Kalmia  latifolia. 

15. 

' 'Andromeda  floribunda. 

35. 

Hodgins's  Holly. 

16. 

Standard  Roses. 

36. 

Red  Cedar. 

17. 

Double  Furze. 

37. 

Ribes  sanguineum. 

18. 

Old  Oak-tree. 

38. 

Border  for  flowers  and  climbing 

19. 

Daphne  poniica. 

plants. 

20 

Red-flowered  Arbutus. 

17.  Small  villages  and  village-gardens,  when  they  fall  so 
completely  within  the  boundary  of  an  estate  or  of  a  park,  to  be 


o 
on 


if. 


jllllSSllIiil &illlilllili^^Ri-.JJ 

Fig.   184. 


350  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

dealt  with  as  parts  of  a  whole,  may  receive  a  passing  remark. 
A  village  is  essentially  a  country  object,  and  nothing  should 
therefore  be  done  to  detract  from  its  rural  character.  The 
dwellings  in  it,  too,  should  be  regarded  only  as  cottages,  and 
not  be  elevated  into  the  aspect  of  villas.  Great  neatness  and 
orderliness  may  appropriately  reign  in  it ;  but  the  trimness, 
and  finish,  and  elegance,  of  a  gentleman's  j)leasure  grounds  are 
neither  to  be  expected  nor  desired.  Where  the  cottages  are  not 
numerous,  they  should  partake  of  the  same  character  through- 
out, which  ought  to  be  one  of  simplicity,  and  fitness  for  the 
station  and  wants  of  the  inhabitants.  Occasionally,  three  or 
four  cottages  may  be  clustered  together,  in  a  broken  outline ; 
and  others  may  be  in  pairs,  while  some  are  quite  detached. 
The  relative  position  of  the  cottages  to  the  road  should  also  be 
as  varied  as  possible ;  and  if  the  land  be  at  all  undulated,  care 
should  be  taken  to  adapt  the  site  and  form  of  a  cottage  or  a 
group  of  them  to  natural  swells  or  platforms  in  the  ground.  A 
village  church,  a  parsonage,  schools  and  school-house,  a  farm- 
house and  farm-stead,  and  a  green  will  complete  the  picture. 
And  a  clock-tower  or  public  fountain  may  be  added  at  pleasure. 

Just  such  a  village,  in  most  respects,  is  being  remodelled  and 
rebuilt  at  Daylesford,  by  Harman  Grisewood,  Esq.,  and  I  am 
planning  the  gardens,  road,  &c.  It  lies  close  to  one  of  the 
entrance-lodges  to  the  park,  and  may  almost  be  regarded  as 
a  part  of  the  latter.  It  does  not  comprise  more  than  a  dozen 
cottages,  with  schools,  and  the  church  and  vicarage  are  on  some 
rising  ground  at  the  commencement  of  the  village.  A  branch 
public  road  to  a  neighbouring  place  diverges  from  the  principal 
road  between  the  vicarage  and  the  cottages,  and  the  home-farm 
is  placed  at  a  short  distance  along  that  road.  An  old  Yew 
tree  occurs  most  fortunately  in  the  middle  of  the  roads,  just  at 
their  junction ;  and  it  is  proposed  to  give  additional  character 
to  this  point  by  placing  a  small  clock-tower,  or  a  canopied  well, 
in  the  triangle  between  the  roads. 

The  cottage  gardens  are  fenced  from  the  drive  by  low  walls, 
and  between  these  walls  and  the  road  is  a  margin  of  turf,  four 


VILLAGE   GAKDENS.  351 

feet  wide,  on  either  side,  allowing  room  for  the  introduction, 
upon  it,  of  tufts  of  double  Furze,  Ivy,  evergreen  Berberries, 
Brooms,  &c,  to  cluster  up  irregularly  against  the  wall,  and 
mingle  with  the  shrubs  in  the  gardens.  All  the  front  gardens, 
on  each  side  of  the  road,  are  laid  out  in  one  area,  with  as  few 
walks  crossing  it  as  possible,  and  groups  of  evergreen  and  deci- 
duous shrubs  scattered  sparingly  about.  These  front  gardens 
are  to  be  kept  in  grass,  and  to  be  maintained  in  order  by  Mr. 
Grisewood,  and  not  by  the  individual  cottagers,  who  have  small 
plots  at  the  back,  and  larger  allotments  elsewhere.  The  out- 
buildings, pig-styes,  &c,  are  placed  in  groups  at  the  rear  of  the 
cottages,  and  have  a  back  road  leading  to  them,  a  plantation 
shutting  in  the  whole  from  the  park  on  the  western  side,  but 
so  arranged  that,  by  the  use  of  only  bushes  (such  as  Hollies, 
Thorns,  Laurels,  &c.,)  at  intervals,  beautiful  glimpses  of  the 
park  are  obtained,  between  the  cottages,  from  the  village  road. 

18.  I  have  yet  to  produce  several  plans  which  may  illustrate 
more  fully  the  compact  combination  of  parts  in  a  place.  And 
these  will  follow  quite  pertinently  after  the  preceding  descrip- 
tion of  the  several  departments.  For,  however  necessary  it 
may  be  to  have  each  individual  section  of  a  property  well  con- 
sidered, the  happy  and  convenient  union  of  all  into  one  signi- 
ficant whole  is  of  far  higher  consequence. 

A  singularly  interesting  place  which  I  arranged  for  Joseph 
Stubs,  Esq.,  at  Frodsham,  Cheshire,  in  1855,  will  supply  the 
first  sample  of  this  class.  Fig.  185  includes  only  a  part  of  the 
gardens,  and  these  are  slightly  altered  in  several  unimportant 
respects  ;  *for  Mr.  Stubs  is  enthusiastically  attached  to  his  gar- 
den, and  being  an  energetic  and  successful  collector  and  culti- 
vator of  rare  plants,  is  constantly  making  little  changes,  for 
the  sake  of  accommodating  new  favourites. 

Park  Place  (the  name  of  this  property)  lies  under  a  high 
embankment  (1G)  of  the  Birkenhead,  Lancashire,  and  Cheshire 
Junction  Railway  ;  but  this,  so  fir  from  being  a  disadvantage, 
is  a  positive  benefit,  for  it  is  covered  from  the  house  by  large 
trees,  and  Mr.  Stubs  has  been  allowed  to  plant  it  picturesquely 


Fig.  185. 


COMPACT    COMBINATION    OF   PARTS.  353 

with  broken  clusters  of  Furze,  Broom,  Holly,  Yew,  Dogwood, 
Thorns,  etc.,  which  are  now  growing  up,  and  convert  it  into  a 
pleasing  object.  Besides,  it  screens  the  grounds  materially 
from  the  north  and  north-west  winds,  which  here  sweep  with 
great  force  up  the  valley  of  the  Mersey ;  and  it  also  excludes 
altogether  the  contiguous  town  of  Frodsham,  and  the  extensive 
tract  of  marshy  ground  to  the  north.  The  property  is  profusely 
furnished  with  old  trees,  which  are  principally  Oak  and  Beech, 
and  these,  blending  with  and  but  partially  revealing  the  bold 
and  rocky  heath-clad  hills  of  Frodsham  and  Helsby,  impart 
almost  a  romantic  character  to  the  spot.  Land-springs  are 
likewise  both  abundant  and  strong,  and  besides  yielding  an 
unfailing  supply  to  the  house,  gardens,  and  offices,  are  collected 
into  an  ornamental  pool,  of  the  most  deliriously  transparent 
water,  which  lies  to  the  south-west  of  the  pleasure-grounds. 
Another  set  of  springs  further  gives  rise  to  a  dashing  stream, 
skirting  the  east  side  of  the  place,  and  appropriating  to  itself  a 
rocky  dingle,  where  Ferns  and  other  shade  and  moisture-loving 
plants  find  their  home.  Around  the  source  of  a  third  set  of 
springs,  too,  in  the  wood  to  the  south-east  of  the  pleasure- 
grounds,  the  banks  are  formed  into  an  American  garden,  where 
a  choice  collection  of  Rhododendrons  is  being  established,  and 
where,  on  the  margin  of  a  little  basin  into  which  the  springs 
flow,  the  noble  Osmunda  and  similar  large-leaved  Ferns  obtain 
the  marshy  situation  and  the  shade  they  so  much  love. 

Within  the  grounds,  the  house  and  offices  are  situated  at  1, 
the  kitchen-yard  at  2,  some  proposed  plant-houses,  not  yet 
erected,  farther  to  the  east,  (of  which  3  is  the  Camellia-house,  4 
a  Geranium-house,  5  a  conservatory,  6  a  Heath-house,  and  7  a 
stove,)  with  two  basins  for  fountains  at  8.  The  flower-garden 
is  in  front  of  the  contemplated  plant-houses,  and  an  avenue  of 
flower-beds  stretches  between  it  and  the  second  fountain.  A 
border  for  choice  flowers  and  for  climbers  extends  all  round  the 
wall  from  the  corner  of  the  house  to  the  kitchen-garden,  and 
having  several  aspects,  and  being  about  300  feet  long,  Mr.  Stubs's 
knowledge  of  flowers,  and  devotion  to  their  culture,  enables  him 


354:  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

to  keep  it  filled,  from  early  spring  to  latest  autumn,  with  a 
mixed  and  most  delightful  collection  of  blooming  plants. 

All  the  parts  to  the  east  of  the  flower-garden  and  j:>leasure- 
grounds  are  fully  five  feet  lower  than  the  rest,  which  assists  the 
general  grouping.  At  9,  there  are  two  vineries,  with  garden- 
sheds  behind  them,  and  a  garden-yard  (11)  still  further  in  the 
rear,  with  ample  room  in  it  for  pits  and  frames.  The  stable- 
yard  is  at  12,  the  stables  and  their  accessories,  with  a  clock- 
turret  surmounting  them,  at  13,  a  small  farm-yard,  in  which 
there  are  cow-sheds,  pig-styes,  a  barn,  poultry-houses,  &c,  at 
14,  and  the  kitchen-garden  at  15,  with  a  road  behind  it  into 
the  field.  The  kitchen-garden,  having  the  ground  ascending 
towards  the  south,  is  cut  up  into  several  terraces,  not  shown  on 
the  plan,  and  there  is  a  rock-covered  bank  on  the  east  side  of 
the  plantation,  between  the  kitchen-garden  and  the  pleasure- 
grounds,  which  is  nicely  clothed  with  tufts  of  Cotoneaster, 
Pernettya,  Violets,  &c.  A  back  road,  or  secondary  line  of 
approach,  passes  along  the  north  side  of  the  house,  and  affords 
convenient  communication  with  all  the  yards  and  offices. 

A  glance  at  the  plan  will  exhibit  the  contiguity  and  con- 
nexion of  all  the  different  parts  of  the  place,  and  will  show  that 
it  is  conspicuous  for  compactness  and  for  the  consecutiveness 
of  its  several  departments.  It  is  remarkable,  too,  for  the  very 
perfect  collection  of  ornamental  hardy  shrubs,  and  for  the 
great  beauty  and  health  which  these  are  assuming,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  elaborate  preparation  which  Mr.  Stubs  has  made 
for  their  growth,  in  regard  to  drainage,  soil,  shelter,  and  the 
most  untiring  tendance. 

The  grounds  around  Agden  Hall,  near  Lymm,  in  Cheshire, 
the  residence  of  T.  S.  Bazley,  Esq.,  furnish  the  next  subject  of 
illustration.  The  house  is  an  old  Elizabethan  structure,  and 
stands  on  a  most  commanding  elevation,  the  views  to  the  north- 
east including  a  Avide  and  varied  valley,  the  woods  of  Dunham, 
Massey,  and  a  picturesque  portion  of  Bowdon ;  while  to  the  south- 
east, the  hills  of  Derbyshire  stretch  away  into  the  distance. 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house,  (fig.  186,)  the  ground  was 


COMPACT   COMBINATION   OF   PARTS. 


355 


exceedingly  devoid  of  trees,  and  an  entirely  new  foreground  to 
the  scenery  has  had  to  be  created.     The  approach  is  by  a  long 


SCALE  Or  '0  0  10  2030  40  sg 


too 


150 


FEET 


Fijr.   180. 


356  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

new  drive  from  the  direction  of  Lymm,  but  there  is  a  second 
or  back  drive  from-the  south  west.  A  public  footpath  (12) 
passes  at  the  back  of  the  grounds,  and  afterwards  crosses  the 
park  to  the  northward. 

The  carriage-sweep  at  the  entrance-porch  is  somewhat  octa- 
gonal, with  stone  blocks  at  the  corners.  At  1,  is  a  flower-gar- 
den, on  the  same  level  as  the  base  of  the  house ;  but  as  there 
is  a  rise  in  the  ground  towards  the  south-east,  the  change  of 
level  is  accomplished  by  a  terrace-bank,  (2,)  the  ends  of  which 
are  masked  with  evergreens.  The  walk  from  the  flower-garden 
to  the  south-east  is  stopped  by  a  sun-dial,  (3,)  and  the  straight 
part  of  the  walk  which  branches  from  this,  at  right  angles,  ends 
in  two  circular  beds  of  Rhododendrons,  round  which  it  passes 
before  taking  a  curved  direction.  An  octagonal  rosery  occurs 
at  4,  and  a  small  conservatory  at  5.  Alternate  flower-beds  and 
Irish  Yews  flank  the  next  walk  from  the  house  towards  the 
kitchen-garden,  V ;  and  there  is  a  space  for  fruit  trees  and 
herbs  at  6.  Around  the  yard,  8,  which  is  divided  into  two 
near  the  centre,  are  the  stable  and  farm-buildings,  the  latter 
being  kept  separate.  The  house-yard  is  at  9.  A  garden-yard 
(10)  is  attached  to  the  kitchen-garden,  and  a  rick-yard  (11)  is 
opposite  the  farm-buildings.  The  figures  13  point  to  a  row  of 
old  Sycamore  trees.  The  kitchen-garden  is  enclosed  by  a  hedge 
only  on  the  south-east  and  south-west  sides.  This  place  aflbrds 
another  example  of  a  tolerably  compact  general  arrangement. 

Fig.  187  is  a  plan  of  the  pleasure-garden  at  Childwickbury, 
the  property  of  Henry  H.  Toulmin,  Esq.,  near  St.  Alban's. 
The  house  has  been  greatly  altered  and  enlarged  by  Mr.  Toul- 
min, since  he  acquired  the  property,  and  is  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  fine  estate.  On  the  north,  west,  and  south  sides  of 
the  grounds  there  is  an  ample  park.  To  the  east,  the  land  is 
occupied  by  the  kitchen-garden,  o,  by  a  spacious  farmstead 
beyond,  and  by  woods.  The  pleasure-grounds  were  entirely 
re-arranged  by  me  in  1856. 

Referring  to  the  plan,  1  is  the  house,  and  2  the  stables  and 
coach-houses,  attached  to  the  mansion  through  the  medium  of 


Fig.  187. 


358 


SPECIAL  DEPARTMENTS. 


an  open  corridor  and  the  other  offices,  and  partially  enclosing 
a  very  characteristic  entrance-court,  in  the  centre  of  which,  at  3, 
is  a  well,  and  a  circular  well-house,  which  is  treated  archi- 
tecturally. The  court,  in  fact,  is  one  of  the  most  peculiar 
features  of  the  place,  and  I  have  given  some  attention  to  its 
outlines  and  accompaniments,  in  order  to  make  the  most  of  it. 
At  4,  there  are  two  dog-kennels,  blocks  of  stone  marking  the 
angles  and  other  points  in  the  lines  of  the  roads  at  7,  two 
specimens  of  Abies  Douglasii  at  8,  two  old  Yews  at  9,  an  old 
Ash  tree,  with  a  seat  round  its  stem,  at  10,  two  Deodar  Cedars 
at  11,  Hodgins's  Hollies  at  12,  and  Golden  Hollies  at  13.  The 
whole  is  surrounded,  except  where  there  are  buildings,  by  a 
Yew  hedge,  52. 

A  flower-plot  is  placed  on  the  western  lawn,  to  produce  a 
little  colour  from  the  more  important  windows,  and  a  larger  one 
is  put  on  the  south  side  of  the  house.  The  figures  mark  the 
specimen  plants,  and  some  of  the  clumps  of  shrubs ;  the  other 
plantations  being  filled  with  the  usual  mixture  of  deciduous 
plants  and  evergreens. 


14.  Scarlet  Thorn. 

15.  Cupressus  macrocarpa. 

16.  Araucaria  imbricata. 

17.  "Weeping  Elm. 

18.  Hybrid  Rhododendron. 

19.  Pinus  excelsa. 

20.  Irish  Yew. 

21.  Berberis  aqui/olium. 

22.  Old  Spruce  Fir. 

23.  Ilex  balearica. 

24.  Old  Arbor- Vitae. 

25.  Cluster  of  tamarisk-leaved  Savin. 

26.  Common  Laurustinus. 

27.  Cluster    of    Cotoneaster    micro- 

phylla. 

28.  Red-flowered  Arbutus. 

29.  Abies  pinsapo. 

30.  Daphne  pontica. 

31.  Cotoneaster  microphylla. 

32.  Yucca  gloriosa. 

33  Cryptomeria  japonica. 


34.  Double-pink  Thorn. 

35.  Pinus  insignis. 

36.  Silver-blotched  Holly. 

37.  Juniperus  recurva. 

38.  Erica  multi flora. 

39.  Andromeda  floribunda. 

40.  Bed   of   Rhododendron  ferrugi- 

neum. 

41.  Black-leaved  Laurustinus. 

42.  Spircea  Lindleyana. 

43.  Arbutus  unedo. 

44.  Aralia  japonica. 

45.  Four  old  Scotch  Firs. 

46.  Double  Yew. 

47.  Double-flowered  Cherry. 

48.  Cydonia  japonica. 

49.  Circular  clumps  of  choice  Rhodo- 

dendrons. 

50.  Bed   of  Ghent   Azaleas,  mixed 

with  Daphne  pontica. 

51.  Beds  of  Rhododendrons. 


COMPACT  COMBINATION  OF  PARTS.  359 

A  slip  of  vegetable  ground,  in  front  of  the  kitchen-garden, 
occurs  at  6  ;  and  the  pleasure-grounds  are  wholly  surrounded 
by  an  iron  hurdle-fence. 

A  much  greater  variety  of  elements  is  included  in  fig.  188, 
which  is  an  enlarged  plan  of  the  grounds  of  Charles  Longman, 
Esq.,  given  in  less  detail  in  fig.  137.  In  connexion  with  the 
latter  figure,  the  conformation  of  the  land,  the  home-pasture, 
and  the  character  of  the  approach  were  described.  It  is  the 
vicinity  of  the  house  that  now  claims  attention. 

The  grounds  are  entered  from  the  north-east,  and  the  drive 
curves  as  much  as  possible  to  the  westward,  in  order  to  keep 
the  view  open  from  the  dining-room  windows,  the  hall  win- 
dows, and  one  of  the  library  windows,  which  are  on  the  north- 
east front.  The  library  is  at  the  eastern  angle  of  the  house, 
with  another  window  to  the  south-east,  and  the  drawing-room 
adjoins  it,  with  a  bay  window  to  the  south-east,  and  a  glass 
door  into  the  corridor  which  unites  it  to  the  conservatory. 
There  is  a  garden  passage  and  door  at  the  back  of  the  drawing- 
room,  and  a  study  next  it,  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  house. 
The  remainder  of  the  block  (1)  is  appropriated  to  offices,  the 
conservatory  being  at  2.  The  house  is  an  Elizabethan  edifice, 
from  the  plans  of  Mr.  John  Griffith,  of  London,  and  is  built 
mainly  of  white  brick. 

At  3  is  the  house-yard,  from  which  there  is  a  walk  to  the 
drying-ground,  9,  hedged  off  from  the  kitchen-garden.  The 
stable-yard  is  at  4,  and  the  stables  and  other  subordinate 
offices  at  5  and  6.  A  manure  pit  is  at  7,  and  in  the  yard,  8,  is 
a  well,  which  is  worked  by  horse-power. 

There  is  a  scattered  flower-garden  at  10,  extending  along  the 
front  of  an  ornamental  wall,  11,  a  hundred  yards  long,  and 
having  a  border  for  flowers  and  climbing  plants  at  its  base.  The 
border  is  filled  with  rows  of  striking  summer  flowers,  and  has 
a  few  evergreens  in  it,  such  as  Irish  Yews  and  Arbor-vitoe,  to 
relieve  the  flatness  of  the  wall,  the  latter  being  terminated  by 
an  octagonal  summer-house,  12.  From  its  great  length,  and 
the  amplitude  of  the  grass  spaces  among  the  flower-beds,  these 


Fur.  188. 


10  0 


so 


£±=4= 


SCALE         Or        FEET 

100  150  200  250  300 


350  400 

-  I H 


Fiff.  188. 


10 


362  SPECIAL    DEPARTMENTS. 

being  diversified  with  choice  evergreen  shrubs,  the  general 
effect  of  the  wall  and  the  flower-garden  is  stately  and  imposing. 

The  kitchen-garden,  of  which  the  ornamental  wall  constitutes 
one  of  the  boundaries,  is  at  13,  with  a  basin  of  water  edged 
with  flints,  and  alpine  plants  among  them,  in  the  centre,  14,  and 
a  subordinate  garden,  for  rougher  vegetables,  at  15.  A  span- 
roofed  greenhouse  is  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  latter,  16,  and 
some  small  forcing-houses,  1 7,  are  put  against  the  back  wall, 
with  a  boiler-shed  (18)  behind  them.  The  site  at  which  vine- 
ries and  other  fruit-houses  may  hereafter  be  built  is  at  19  (a), 
and  19  (b)  shows  the  position  of  the  usual  garden-sheds  and 
conveniences.  At  the  north-eastern  end  of  the  garden-yard, 
20,  and  between  it  and  the  drying-ground,  is  a  separate  walk, 
made  ornamental  by  shrubs,  giving  direct  access  from  the  house 
to  the  farm,  that  the  ladies  may  visit  the  poultry,  &c.  And 
another  yard  for  soils,  manures,  pea-sticks,  rubbish,  &c,  occurs 
at  21 ;  both  being  united  by  a  branch  road  to  the  farm  road 
or  secondary  drive,  which  is  made  into  an  avenue  of  Elm  trees, 
(25,)  and  has  arms  to  the  farm-yard,  27,  on  both  sides  of  the 
block  26,  which  is  a  double  residence  for  the  gardener  and  the 
bailiff,  with  a  little  vegetable-garden  at  either  end,  and  a  flower- 
plot  in  front.  Two  paddocks  are  enclosed  at  28,  which  are 
convenient  for  the  farm  purposes,  and  are  planted  with  orchard 
fruit-trees.  They  extend  back  for  about  double  the  length 
shown ;  and  there  is  a  good  rick-yard  in  the  rear  of  all  the 
farm  buildings.  At  22,  in  a  small  circular  plot  by  itself,  is  a 
tolerably  complete  rosery.  A  noble  old  Walnut  tree,  29,  and 
two  old  Cherry  trees,  30,  are  retained  on  the  lawn,  although  the 
former  a  little  interferes  with  the  neighbouring  flower-beds. 

The  specimen  plants  and  groups  embrace  an  unusual  variety 
of  species,  and  there  are  spread  through  the  latter  a  number  of 
Scotch  Firs,  Austrian  Pines,  Spruce  Firs,  and  deciduous  trees 
ranging  from  five  to  twenty  feet  in  height,  which  Mr.  Longman 
has  been  most  successful  in  transferring  from  a  property  in  the 
same  district.  Some  additional  flower-beds  will  further  be 
noticed  on  the  south-east  side  of  the  drawing-room,  and  round 


COMPACT  COMBINATION  OF  PARTS.  863 

the  end  of  the  conservatory.  The  place  being  a  thoroughly 
new  one,  has  afforded  an  opportunity  for  rendering  it  exceed- 
ingly connected  and  convenient,  and  for  adapting  its  numerous 
offices  to  the  objects  and  wants  of  the  proprietor. 

Fig.  189  supplies  the  last  plan  which  I  shall  insert,  and  is  a 
carefully  digested  example  of  what  may  be  done  in  respect  to 
economising  space,  and,  at  the  same  time,  securing  considerable 
variety,  and  giving  to  each  division  of  a  place  its  appropriate 
relative  position  and  importance.  It  includes  all  the  garden 
department  at  Underscar,  the  property  of  William  Oxley, 
Esq.,  and  is  a  portion  of  fig.  140,  on  a  much  larger  scale. 
The  house  is  represented  at  1,  and  the  library  and  drawing- 
room  occupy  the  south-west  front,  the  latter  having  a  large 
bow-window,  and  a  glass  door  into  the  centre  of  the  conserva- 
tory, 2,  while  the  former  has  a  second  window  to  the  north- 
west. The  dining-room  is  on  the  south-east  side,  with  a  garden- 
door  immediately  behind  it,  and  a  window  over  the  fireplace 
looking  into  the  conservatory.  A  gentleman's  or  business-room 
lies  to  the  left  of  the  entrance  porch,  and  there  is  a  verandah,  3, 
round  the  library.  At  4  is  a  dairy,  which,  being  at  the  north 
corner  of  the  house,  and  in  a  sunk-yard,  12,  and  further  shaded 
by  a  plantation  to  the  west,  will  always  be  cool.  A  low  terrace 
wall,  with  vases  on  its  piers,  is  at  5,  and  this  sustains  a  terrace, 
(10,)  three  feet  high,  which  is  a  few  inches  below  the  level  of 
the  house-floor.  There  is  a  summer-house  at  6,  terminating  an 
ornamental  wall,  (7,)  and  having  a  verandah  on  two  of  its  sides, 
while  it  has  also  an  upper  room,  which  is  twelve  feet  higher,  and 
is  on  a  level  with  the  walk  in  its  rear.  At  8,  is  a  border  for 
climbers  and  flowers,  in  front  of  the  ornamental  wall,  this  latter 
being  also  a  retaining  wall,  for  the  ground  behind  it  is  nearly 
as  high  as  itself, — fourteen  feet.  A  flower-garden  is  placed  at 
9,  with  the  conservatory  for  its  centre  on  one  side,  while  there 
is  a  double  row  of  circular  flower-beds  by  the  walk  to  the  south- 
east of  it.  The  whole  of  the  flower-garden  and  the  walk  on  the 
south-west  front  are  quite  level,  and  there  is  a  drop  of  four  feet 
at  11,  by  a  terrace  bank,  the  formal  part  of  this  bank  bemg 


250  300 


™FT 


Fig.  189. 


COMPACT   COMBINATION   OF   PARTS. 


365 


terminated  by  masses  of  eyergreens,  and  the  ground  south  of 
the  flower-garden  being  carried  out  nearly  level.  A  number 
of  small  offices  in  the  house-yard  (12)  are  shown  at  13,  and  14 
is  an  enclosed  drying-ground,  accessible  only  from  the  house- 
yard.  At  15,  there  is  a  place  for  depositing  coal,  by  a  shute, 
into  a  shed  in  the  house-yard  beneath,  the  road  here  and  the 
stable-yard  being  about  eighteen  feet  higher  than  the  house- 
yard.     Other  figures  refer  as  follows  : — 


16.  Shed  for  visitors'  carriages. 

17.  Men's  water-closet. 

18.  Manure-pit. 

19.  Stable  for  visitors'  horses. 

20.  Stable-yard. 

21.  Coach-house. 

22.  Loose  box. 

23.  Harness-room. 

24.  Open  porch,  for  cleaning  harness 

in,  with  clock-tower  above. 

25.  Stable. 

26.  Shed  for  roots,  &c. 

27.  Barn  for  hay,  &c. 

28.  Cow-house. 

29.  Farm -yard. 

30.  Pig-styes. 

31.  Poultry-house. 

32.  Poultry-yard. 

33.  Manure-pit. 

34.  Gardener's  yard. 

35.  Pits  (span-roofed)  for  Cucumbers 

and  Melons. 

36.  Greenhouse,  (span-roofed.)  with 

lean-to  pits  at  the  sides. 


61. 
38. 
39. 
40. 
41. 
42. 
43. 
44. 
45. 
40. 
47. 

49. 
50. 
51. 

52. 


54 

55. 


Gardener's  cottage. 

Cottage-yard. 

Seed  and  Onion-room. 

Mushroom-house. 

Boiler-house. 

Open  shed. 

Potting  and  tool  shed. 

Fruit-room. 

Early  Vinery. 

Plant-stove. 

Late  Vinery. 

Kitchen-garden. 

Basin  of  water  in  do. 

"Wire  arches,  for  climbing  Roses. 

Borders  forRoses.  with  an  avenue 
of  Standard  Roses  in  them. 

Circular  beds  for  bulbs,  Ike,  with 
Irish  Yew  in  the  middle  of 
each,  and  in  front  of  a  fruit- 
tree  border. 

Stream  down  a  broken  hollow. 

Part  of  shrubbery  walk. 


The  general  position  and  character  of  this  place  have  been 
described  at  p.  247,  but  with  especial  reference  to  the  field  and 
the  shrubbery  walk.  It  may  now  be  stated  that  the  gardens 
take  the  inclination  of  the  land,  already  noticed,  and  fall  to  the 
south-west,  but  they  also  descend,  in  a  cross  slope,  to  the  north- 
west. It  has  been  noted  that  the  stable-yard  is  eighteen  feet 
higher  than  the  house-yard,  and  the  farm-yard  is  ten  feet 
higher  still.      From  the  junction  of  the  farm-yard  with  the 


866  SPECIAL   DEPARTMENTS. 

garden-yard,  there  is  a  further  rapid  ascent  towards  the 
gardener's  cottage,  this  latter  being  more  than  fifty  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  ground  at  the  house,  and  standing  on  the  edge 
of  a  steep  bank,  which  drops  suddenly  into  the  hollow  through 
which  the  stream  flows. 

In  the  kitchen-garden,  there  is  a  rise  from  the  west  to  the 
south  corners  of  fourteen  feet,  and  a  similar  rise  of  fourteen 
feet  from  the  south  to  the  east  corners  ;  the  ascent  in  the  two 
other  sides  being  exactly  the  same.  The  lawn  to  the  east  of 
the  raised  walk  (10)  which  forms  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
flower-garden,  rises  with  a  comparatively  easy  slope  till  it 
comes  opposite  the  south  corner  of  the  kitchen-garden,  (always 
having  an  inclination  southwards  at  the  same  time,)  and  then 
dips  rather  abruptly  into  a  deep  hollow  by  the  stream.  The 
Rose-walk  and  borders  (51)  are  on  the  upper  edge  of  that 
hollow.  After  crossingthe  stream,  the  shrubbery-walk (55)  winds 
northwards  up  another  ascent,  and  the  large  plantation  placed 
between  the  lines  of  this  walk  is  on  the  highest  ground  of  all,  and 
is  provided  as  an  extra  means  of  shelter  from  the  east  winds. 

Those  who  have  been  able  to  follow  me  through  this  state- 
ment will  perceive  that  the  natural  features  of  the  place  present 
great  facilities  for  j)icturesque  treatment ;  and,  as  will  be  seen 
from  the  plan,  the  various  bui1.  dings  have  been  spread  out  over 
a  broad  area,  and  at  different  levels,  so  as  to  give  breadth  to 
the  homestead,  and  support  to  the  house,  and  to  prevent  the 
latter  from  appearing  isolated.  This  was  the  more  needful  as 
there  is  a  bare  fell  immediately  behind  the  estate,  and  Under- 
sear  is  almost  the  highest  residence,  as  regards  position,  in  the 
locality.  Masses  of  trees  have  likewise  been  inserted  in  the 
farm  and  garden-yards,  and  around  the  drying  ground,  and 
especially  to  the  north  of  the  house,  with  a  view  of  backing 
up  and  furnishing  the  place  better  ;  and  most  of  these  planta- 
tions being  on  much  higher  ground  than  the  neighbouring 
buildings,  will  have  an  earlier  and  more  complete  influence  in 
producing  the  desired  result. 

It  should  be  further  mentioned  that  there  is  a  range  of  lofts, 


COMPACT   COMBINATION   OF   PARTS.  867 

coachman's  apartments,  and  store-rooms,  over  the  stables, 
coach-honse,  &c,  with  a  clock-turret  in  the  centre ;  and  the 
floor  of  these  upper  apartments  being  on  the  same  level  as  the 
floor  of  the  buildings  in  the  farm-yard,  and  these  last  having  no 
upper  story,  the  entire  block  falls  into  an  artistic  as  well  as 
convenient  group.  The  summer-house  (6)  taking  the  form  of 
a  tower,  also,  and  the  kitchen-garden  walls  being  in  a  series  of 
ascending  steps,  and  the  gardener's  cottage  having  a  pictu- 
resque outline,  and  a  complete  harmony  of  style  being  pre- 
served throughout,  considerable  boldness  of  architectural 
composition  will  be  eventually  attained. 

All  the  architectural  elevations  have  been  designed  by  my 
friend  Mr.  Verelst,  of  Liverpool.  The  house  is  in  the  ruder 
and  more  rustic  variety  of  the  Italian  style,  with  flattish  roofs, 
and  very  wide  eaves,  and  bold  cantalivers  beneath  the  latter. 
Similar  projection  and  cantalivers  are  given  to  the  roof  of  the 
conservatory.  An  effective  campanile  rises  above  the  entrance 
porch,  and  the  northern  end  is  carried  up  into  a  low  extra 
story,  while  the  part  between  it  and  the  body  of  the  house  is 
slightly  depressed.  All  the  remaining  buildings  are  in  the 
same  maimer,  but  a  little  ruder  in  the  details  of  construction ; 
and  all  are  to  be  roofed  with  dark-coloured  pantiles.  The  ma- 
terial of  the  house  is  a  light  grey  stone,  undressed,  and  of  ex- 
cellent quality,  with  quoins  and  window-dressings  of  drab- 
coloured  freestone.  The  ornamental  and  garden  walls  and  the 
outbuildings  of  all  kinds  are  of  the  same  grey' stone,  which  is 
obtained  in  the  neighbourhood. 

From  the  happy  circumstance  that  the  stream,  where  it 
enters  the  land,  is  more  than  forty  feet  higher  than  the  plat- 
form on  which  the  house  is  built,  and  the  water  being  of  the 
best  quality,  the  garden,  plant-houses,  stables,  and  house  can 
all  receive  a  natural  supply  of  water,  which  can  thus  be  carried 
to  the  very  top  of  the  house. 

It  will  be  unnecessary  to  do  more  than  merely  point  to  the 
fact  that  each  part  of  this  place  is  made  to  fit  into  its  neigh- 
bouring part  without  loss  of  ground  or  sacrifice  of  convenience, 


368  SPECIAL   DEPAETMENTS. 

and  that  almost  everything  that  can  be  wanted  in  a  rural  resi- 
dence is  here  supplied.  There  is  a  secondary  short  drive  to 
the  house,  from  the  upper  road,  and  a  branch  from  this  leads 
directly  to  the  stables  and  the  house-offices.  Only  a  foot-path 
actually  enters  the  house-yard,  but  coal  and  wood-sheds,  lying 
under  the  back  road  at  15,  and  opening  to  the  house-yard 
be]ow,  these  things  may  be  shot  at  once  from  carts  into  their 
proper  depositories.  A  path  from  the  back  road  allows  com- 
munication with  the  poultry-yard,  which  is  kept  apart  from  the 
farm-yard,  so  that  the  family  may  visit  it  without  necessarily 
o-oino-  into  the  latter.  The  stable-yard  is  connected  with  the 
kitchen-garden,  for  the  purpose  of  conveying  manure ;  and 
hay,  straw,  &c,  need  not  be  brought  into  the  stable-yard,  but 
are  supplied  through  the  lofts  which  communicate  with  the 
farm-yard ;  this  last  having  a  gate  into  it  from  the  upper  road. 
The  garden-yard  is  similarly  entered  from  the  outside  road, 
and  the  gardener's  cottage  has  an  independent  entrance  from 
the  outside,  through  its  own  yard.  On  its  south-western  side, 
the  cottage  also  makes  an  excellent  finish  to  the  Rose-walk. 
It  may  be  observed,  finally,  that  the  circular  plot,  round  which 
the  walk  passes,  on  the  lawn  in  front  of  the  kitchen-garden,  is 
opposite  the  entrance  to  the  conservatory  and  the  centre  of 
the  flower-garden,  and  is  occupied  with  a  specimen  of  Arauca~ 
ria  mibricata. 


PART  IV. 


PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 


Questions  of  taste,  even  in  relation  to  the  smallest  matters, 
having  now  been  discussed  to  as  great  an  extent  as  is  compa- 
tible with  the  limits  of  a  book  like  the  present,  I  have  only 
further  to  notice  a  few  things  respecting  the  actual  execution  of 
work ;  and  these  refer  rather  to  matters  of  expense  or  comfort, 
and  the  elements  of  success  in  cultivation.  Of  them,  likewise, 
it  may  be  truly  said,  as  of  points  in  taste,  that  little  considera- 
tions will  often  be  far  from  light  or  trifling  in  their  influences, 
but  may  determine  altogether  the  propriety  or  uridesirableness 
of  any  particular  course.  Indeed,  the  nearer  we  approach  to 
subjects  entirely  practical,  the  more  weighty  and  important  will 
every  topic  of  inquiry  become;  in  proportion  as  necessary  things 
are  of  greater  moment  than  such  as  are  merely  desirable. 

As  books,  however,  can  only  deal  with  general  points  of  prac- 
tice, there  will  not  be  much  in  this  part  of  the  work  to  detain 
us  long.  The  more  minute  details  belong  rather  to  the  busi- 
ness of  ordinary  gardening  than  to  that  of  laying  out  and 
forming  a  place. 

1.  The  first  operation  on  land  that  has  to  be  newly  arranged 
will  be  to  drain  it  thoroughly.  No  description  of  ornamental 
or  useful  plants  will  thrive  well  upon  undrained  ground,  that  is 
not  naturally  dry  and  open  ;  nor  can  such  land  ever  yield  any 
permanent  enjoyment  and  comfort.  A  cold  damp  soil  is  de- 
cidedly uncongenial  to  both  animal  and  vegetable  life. 

Drainage  is  not  merely  valuable  in  the  removal  of  the  stag- 

16* 


370  PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

nant  water  which  is  so  injurious  to  plants,  and  so  productive  of 
discomfort :  it  also  has  the  direct  effect  of  making  the  soil 
warmer,  and  admitting  air  and  gases  freely.  The  temperature 
of  ground  that  is  saturated  with  water  can  never  be  greatly 
increased,  by  whatever  power  of  sun  it  may  be  acted  upon ;  nor 
can  air  circulate  properly  through  a  liquid  medium.  Warmth 
and  air  to  the  roots  being  therefore  essential  to  the  healthy 
growth  and  fertility  of  plants,  drainage  becomes  of  the  highest 
consequence  in  soils  that  are  naturally  wet. 

Deep  draining  is  now  generally  admitted  to  be  the  only 
effectual  mode,  for  any  description  of  land ;  but  this  is  espe- 
cially the  case  with  garden-ground.  The  roots  of  many  vege- 
tables, and  most  trees  and  shrubs,  strike  down  so  far  into  the 
earth,  that  shallow  drains  would  be  continually  in  the  way  of 
their  progress,  and  would  be  very  liable  to  be  choked  or  injured 
by  them.  The  more  close,  hard,  and  retentive  the  subsoil  may 
be,  moreover,  the  stronger  will  be  the  necessity  for  deep  drains. 
Still,  any  extravagant  depth  need  never  be  attempted.  Three 
feet  six  inches  to  four  feet  below  the  ordinary  surface,  will,  in 
general,  be  the  utmost  depth  required  for  common  drains ;  and 
main  drains  should  be  two  or  three  inches  deeper.  Where  the 
substratum  is  only  sandy,  three  feet  for  the  ordinary  drains  will 
usually  be  enough.  They  can  be  about  three  inches  wide  at 
the  bottom,  and  fourteen  or  sixteen  inches,  or  just  enough  to 
admit  the  draining  tool  conveniently,  at  the  top ;  keeping  the 
main  drains  one  or  two  inches  wider  at  the  bottom,  in  accor- 
dance with  the  size  of  the  tiles  to  be  employed.  Common 
drains,  in  gardens,  may  be  in  parallel  lines  of  not  more  than 
five  yards  apart,  and  nearer  if  the  soil  be  very  heavy. 

Tiles  or  pipes  are  the  materials  most  frequently  chosen  for 
draining  land,  though  they  are  certainly  not  the  best  for  gardens, 
or  where  trees  have  to  be  planted.  They  are  very  apt  to  become 
filled  up  or  obstructed  by  the  roots  of  plants  entering  them,  or 
by  the  action  of  moles,  rats,  rabbits,  &c.  Drains  formed  with 
rubble-stone,  or  any  similar  material,  are,  therefore,  superior  to 
tile-drains  in  gardens.    Where  rock  is  plentiful,  it  can  be  broken 


DRAINAGE.  371 

into  pieces  of  two  to  three  inches  diameter,  and  placed  loosely 
in  the  common  drains,  to  the  depth  of  twelve  or  fifteen  inches ; 
or  similar  pieces  of  broken  brick,  flint,  coarse  gravel,  large 
cinders  or  clinkers,  or  whatever  else  of  a  like  nature  abounds 
in  the  district,  can  be  used  instead  of  rock.  A  rubble  drain 
should  not  be  less  than  five  or  six  inches  wide  at  the  bottom. 

For  main  drains,  however,  tiles  or  pipes  of  three  or  four  inches 
in  diameter,  with  flat  slate  or  stone  soles  for  the  tiles  to  stand 
on,  will  be  better  as  the  principal  conduits  of  water;  but  these 
should  also  be  covered  with  at  least  twelve  inches  of  the  material 
of  which  the  other  drains  are  composed.  Pipes,  where  they  can 
be  procured,  will  always  be  preferable  to  tiles,  and  pipes  which 
are  made  with  collars,  to  cover  the  joints,  or  with  a  broad  flat 
base,  have  a  decided  advantage  over  those  ordinarily  used. 

Over  the  rubble  with  which  both  classes  of  drains  are  thus 
filled  up,  a  sod  of  from  one  to  two  inches  in  thickness,  and  the 
full  width  of  the  drain,  should  be  inverted,  to  prevent  the  soil 
from  crumbling  and  washing  down  among  the  stones,  and  clog- 
ging up  the  interstices.  As  this  sod  will  last  many  years,  until 
the  soil  has  become  quite  consolidated,  it  will  be  a  most  useful 
auxiliary  to  the  drains,  and  tend  to  keep  their  action  more 


Figs.  190.  101. 


perfect.     Fig.  190  represents  a  minor  rubble-drain,  with  the 
broken  stone  in  it,  (b)  and  a  sod  (a)  inverted  over  the  latter 
Fig.  191  shows  a  main  drain,  which  is  deeper  and  wider,  having 
a  tile  (c),  at  the  bottom,  and  being  half  filled  with  rubble,  (A) 


372  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

with  a  sod  (a)  over  the  broken  stone.  The  scale  is  four  feet  to 
an  inch. 

All  drains  should  be  cut  out  smoothly,  with  even  sides,  and 
a  very  flat  bottom,  in  a  firm  soil,  that  the  sides  may  never  be 
falling  in  to  impede  the  flow  of  water,  and  that  there  may  not 
be  anything  like  little  stagnant  pools  in  them.  They  should  each 
have  a  sufficient  fall,  by  running  down  the  natural  slope  of  the 
land ;  and  the  main  drains,  as  being  the  general  recej)tacles, 
ought  to  have  a  somewhat  quicker  fall  than  the  rest.  If  the 
ground  be  very  flat,  a  fall  must  be  obtained  by  cutting  the 
drains  deeper  at  one  end  than  the  other. 

It  is  particularly  requisite  that  a  good  and  sufficient  outfall, 
for  discharging  from  a  place  all  the  water  that  accumulates  by 
drainage,  be  secured,  and  be  under  due  control.  Where  it  is 
dependent  on  a  neighbor,  or  the  owner  of  another  property,  it 
will  always  be  exposed  to  interruption  and  hazard.  Efforts 
should  consequently  be  made  to  preserve  its  independence.  In 
these  days  of  attention  to  sewerage,  the  common  sewer  Avhich 
receives  the  refuse  water  from  the  house  will  be  an  excellent 
medium  for  taking  away  the  soakage  from  the  land,  if  this  can 
be  at  all  readily  contrived. 

After  draining,  ground  should  be  thoroughly  well  stirred  or 
trenched,  to  the  depth  of  nearly  or  quite  two  feet,  that  the 
entire  mass  of  useable  earth  may  be  benefited,  and  not  that 
alone  which  lies  immediately  around  each  drain.  Unless  this 
be  efficiently  done,  the  process  of  draining  will  be  of  compara- 
tively feeble  service,  as  the  parts  between  the  drains  will  remain 
nearly  as  close  and  impervious  as  ever. 

Draining  will  sometimes  (though  rarely)  be  unnecessary, 
where  the  ground  is  very  light  and  friable,  and  there  is  a  good 
natural  slope  in  it.  This  will  be  more  markedly  the  case 
where  the  soil  is  shallow,  and  there  is  a  porous  rocky  or  sandy 
foundation.  Draining  would  then  be  injurious,  rather  than 
otherwise.  Still,  a  sandy  bottom  is  by  no  means  invariably  an 
open  or  dry  one  ;  as  sand,  with  a  slight  mixture  of  gravel  or 
clay,  and  a  dash  of  iron,  or  with  a  tendency  to  harden  into 


DRAINAGE.  373 

stone  or  shale,  may  sometimes  be  as  solid  and  retentive  as  a 
bed  of  clay,  or  even  more  impervious  ;  or  a  bed  of  sand  may 
be  saturated  with  water,  giving  it  a  shifting  character,  of  the 
nature  of  a  quicksand,  and  rendering  drainage  in  the  highest 
degree  needful.  It  is  the  light-coloured,  open,  dry  sands,  such 
as  are  most  manifestly  silieious,  and  like  those  which  attend 
peaty  soils,  that,  when  present  as  an  under-layer,  can  alone 
render  drainage  superfluous. 

2.  Wherever  old  hedge-rows  exist,  and  require  to  be  removed 
and  levelled,  in  a  part  that  is  to  be  converted  into  a  grass-field 
or  park,  the  greatest  care  should  be  exercised  in  preserving  the 
better  part  of  the  trees  and  bushes  that  may  be  in  them,  and 
in  retaining  these  rather  as  broken  groups  than  merely  as  single 
specimens.  More  may  be  done  to  break  the  line  of  a  hedge-row 
by  a  due  regard  to  the  retention  of  bushes  around  or  in  con- 
nexion with  trees,  or  in  tufts  by  themselves,  than  by  any 
amount  of  thinning;  that  disregards  this  mixture.  And  it  will 
sometimes  happen  that  the  transplantation  of  a  few  old  Thorns, 
so  as  to  break  the  lines  of  others,  or  soften  off  a  cluster  of 
trees,  will  be  of  the  greatest  service. 

Special  pains  should  be  taken  not  to  cut  away  too  much  earth 
from  such  trees  or  bushes  as  may  be  selected  to  remain  ;  but 
rather  to  add  soil  to  the  bank  on  which  they  stand  than  to 
leave  the  roots  at  all  bare.  By  the  common  practice  of 
spreading  down  hedge-row  banks,  so  as  to  reduce  them  to  the 
level  of  the  ground  around  trees,  the  trees  that  are  left  often 
get  blown  over  by  wind,  or  are  gradually,  by  the  exposure 
of  the  roots,  rendered  feebler  and  feebler,  until  at  length 
they  perish  from  sheer  exhaustion. 

3.  Very  much  of  the  pleasure  of  a  garden  will  depend  on  the 
manner  in  which  its  walks  are  formed.  A  walk  that  becomes 
cloggy  or  slimy  in  wet  weather,  or  after  frosts,  or  allows  the 
water  to  lodge  upon  it  during  and  after  rains,  or  has  a  surface 
of  coarse,  and  harsh,  or  loose  materials,  will  do  much  towards 
deterring  persons  from  using  their  gardens  so  constantly,  or, 
at  least,  will  rob  them  of  a  good  deal  of  enjoyment. 


374  PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

To  be  perfect,  walks  and  drives  should  be  dry,  smooth  and 
even,  hard  and  firm,  in  all  weathers,  and  at  every  season. 
And  the  more  nearly  they  ajiproach  to  the  realisation  of  these 
things,  the  more  they  will  contribute  to  comfort  and  ease. 

Dryness  can  be  attained  in  a  walk  by  shaping  the  ground 
properly  in  forming  it,  by  rounding  it  up  slightly  in  the  middle, 
by  giving  it  a  decided  fall  in  some  direction,  and  placing 
gratings  and  lodges  for  water  at  the  lowest  points ;  and  by 
using  suitable  materials,  both  for  the  foundation  and  the  surface. 

In  the  ground  formation  of  a  walk  or  drive  (for  the  latter 
may  be  regarded  as  a  larger  description  of  walk,  in  a  small 
garden),  a  firm  bottom  should  be  obtained,  and  it  should  be 
pared  as  smooth  as  possible,  keeping  it  from  three  to  six  inches 
higher  in  the  centre,  according  to  its  width.  At  either  edge 
the  ground  should  be  sloped  gradually  down,  for  about  a  foot 
or  eighteen  inches  in  width,  to  the  extreme  margins,  where  it 
may  be  six  or  nine  inches  deeper  than  at  any  other  part.  (See 
the  cross-section  in  fig.  192,  which  represents  the  bed  of  the 


Fig.  192. 

walk,  and  is  to  a  scale  of  four  feet  to  an  inch.)  These  extra 
cuts  at  the  sides  are  to  be  filled  with  rougher  material,  and  to 
follow  the  general  inclination  of  the  walk,  for  the  purpose  of 
drainage.  They  can  communicate  occasionally  with  the  ordinary 
ground  drains,  to  let  off  the  water  that  may  accumulate  in  them. 
By  laying  the  ground-work  of  a  walk  thus  high  in  the  centre, 
and  smoothly  sloping  to  a  kind  of  drain  at  each  side,  the  utmost 
possible  dryness  will  be  gained,  as  far  as  that  is  concerned. 

Here  and  there,  however,  in  the  lowest  parts  of  the  walk, 
where  water  would  collect  on  the  surface,  square  holes  or  lodges, 
cut  deeper  than  the  ordinary  drains  of  the  land,  to  receive  the 


FORMATION  OF   WALKS. 


375 


water  from  grates  placed  on  the  surface,  may  be  formed,  and 
partly  filled  with  rubble,  or,  what  is  better,  lined  at  the  sides 
and  bottom  with  flat  tiles,  bricks,  or  slates.  In  fig.  193,  which 
depicts  a  lodge  of  this  kind,  a  is  the  grating  in  the  walk,  and  b 


a 


the  drain  for  carrying  oft'  surplus  water.  The  scale  is  four  feet 
to  an  inch.  These  lodges  can  communicate,  by  means  of  short 
branch  pipe  or  rubble  drains,  with  the  nearest  common  drain ; 
the  small  drains  from  the  lodges  being  on  such  a  level  as  to 
receive  the  overflow  merely,  while  the  sand  and  sediment  will 
remain,  to  be  occasionally  removed. 

A  walk  should  have  from  nine  to  twelve  inches  of  material 
upon  it,  and  a  drive  rather  more.  About  three  inches  of  this 
only,  on  the  surface,  need  be  of  fine  gravel.  The  rest  can  be 
rubble  stone,  flints,  coarse  gravel,  cinders,  or  any  angular  and 
irregularly-shaped  substance  that  will  remain  porous  and  dry. 
In  applying  this  coating,  the  crown  of  the  walk  can  be  reduced 
by  putting  a  less  quantity  in  the  centre  than  at  the  sides. 
Walks  of  one  yard  wide  can  be  raised  about  an  inch  in  the 
centre,  when  filled,  and  those  of  two  yards  wide  about  two 
inches.  For  wider  walks  that  are  straight,  in  formal  gardening, 
a  greater  proportionate  flatness  is  desirable,  or  they  will  lose 
some  of  their  dignity  and  effect.  The  three  inches  of  gravel 
can  be  evenly  spread  over  the  whole  surface. 


376  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

Gravel  is  exceedingly  variable  in  quality  in  different  parts  of 
the  country,  and  often  requires  some  little  artificial  mixture  or 
preparation  before  it  can  be  brought  into  a  right  state.  Gravel 
that  contains  much  lime  or  clay,  though  excellent  for  binding, 
will  become  very  dirty  in  wet  weather,  and  break  up  considera- 
bly after  frost.  It  wants  the  addition  of  some  stronger,  and 
drier,  and  more  sandy  sort.  Sea  gravel,  again,  (unless  it  be 
the  muddy  sediment  deposited  on  the  shores  of  some  great 
tidal  rivers,  and  containing  a  large  proportion  of  half-decom- 
posed shells,  which  help  to  bind  it  firmly,  but  also  to  make  it 
cloggy  after  being  frozen,)  will  never  bind  at  all  without  the 
help  of  lime,  or  pulverized  clay,  or  a  strong  loam  reduced  to  a 
powdery  state  while  dry,  and  added  in  the  proportion  of  about 
one-fifth,  or  one-sixth.  Such  a  mixture  will,  when  it  becomes 
fully  set,  form  one  of  the  best  possible  surfaces  for  a  walk,  and 
will  never  be  too  wet. 

As  the  perfection  of  a  walk  consists  in  smoothness,  and  free- 
dom from  rough  stones,  which  would  also  kick  up  in  dry 
weather  and  disturb  the  surface,  either  a  thin  upper  coating  of 
gravel  should  be  finely  screened  or  riddled,  or  the  whole  sur- 
face can  be  very  thoroughly  raked,  so  as  to  get  off  all  but  the 
very  smallest  gravel.  Road  scrapings,  where  they  are  tolera- 
ably  free  from  dirt,  Avill  also,  if  sparingly  applied,  make  a  very 
even  and  excellent  surface  to  a  walk,  when  gravel  is  scarce,  or 
not  of  a  good  binding  nature. 

The  colour  of  gravel  must  of  course  vary,  according  to  what 
can  be  obtained  in  any  district.  Perhaps  the  best  colour,  where 
there  is  any  choice,  is  the  full,  deep,  reddish  yellow  so  common 
round  London,  and  less  abundant,  I  believe,  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Dublin.  "Whitish  gravels  are  usually  too  conspicuous 
and  cold-looking.  There  is  a  greater  richness  and  warmth  in 
the  appearance  of  the  yellower  kinds. 

What  very  much  affects  the  character  of  walks,  is  the  way 
in  which  their  edgings  are  laid.  These  should  be  quite  smooth, 
thoroughly  flat  along  the  margins,  and  for  some  part  of  their 
width  at  least,  precisely  on  the  same  level  at  both  sides,  and  very 


FORMATION   OF   WALKS.  377 

well  defined,  though  not  more  than  half-an-inch  above  the  level 
of  the  side  of  the  Avalk.  The  edges  ought  to  be  kept  at  one 
uniform  distance  throughout,  unless  there  be  some  special 
reason  for  change.  Walks  that  are  not  carefully  formed  in  ac- 
cordance with  all  these  conditions,  will  appear  more  or  less 
slovenly,  deficient  in  the  expression  of  art,  and  indicative  of 
an  unrefined  taste. 

To  render  the  edgings  of  a  walk  firm,  and  capable  of  being 
made  flat,  and  cut  evenly,  they  should  be  formed  of  what 
gardeners  call  ramperingsods.  These  are  thick  turf-covered 
masses  of  earth,  cut  from  an  old  rough  pasture,  and  about 
six  inches  wide,  and  four  to  six  inches  or  more  in  thickness. 
They  are  to  be  inverted  along  the  edges  of  walks,  leaving 
about  two  inches  to  be  cut  from  the  inner  edge,  next  the  walk, 
and  paring  down  the  surface  until  they  are  brought  to  the 
requisite  smoothness  of  level.  Edgings  thus  laid  will  never 
crumble  away  or  become  uneven,  unless  with  extremely  rough 
usasce. 

To  determine  the  width  most  proper  for  a  walk,  the  size  and 
arrangement  of  the  garden  will  have  to  be  taken  into  account. 
Straight  walks  should  always  be  wider  than  curved  ones;  but 
there  must  be  a  nice  proportion  maintained  between  their  width 
and  their  length,  as  any  excess  of  the  former  would  diminish 
the  latter.  From  six  to  eight  feet  will  generally,  however,  be 
sufficient  for  the  width  of  a  straight  walk,  which  should  cer- 
tainly not  be  narrower  than  six  feet.  A  terrace  walk  may  even 
be  ten  feet  wide  or  wider,  if  the  house  be  large  enough  to 
justify  it.  For  serpentine  walks,  from  four  to  six  feet  will  be 
about  the  right  width  in  gardens  of  the  size  under  discussion ; 
four  feet  being  a  little  too  small,  unless  the  space  be  very  con- 
tracted, and  six  feet  somewhat  too  large.  The  intermediate 
width  will  be  best  in  most  cases.  A  drive  can  be  eight,  ten, 
twelve,  or  fourteen  feet  wide,  according  to  its  length,  and  ob- 
ject. A  back  drive,  that  is  a  branch  from  the  main  approach, 
will  rarely  need  to  be  wider  than  eight  feet.  Ten  or  twelve 
feet  will  generally  be  most  appropriate  for  other  drives. 


378 


PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 


It  will  be  of  some  moment  to  adjust  the  height  of  walks, 
relative  to  the  general  level  of  the  ground,  with  judgment  and 
discrimination.  As  straight  walks  are  intended  to  make  pro- 
minent features  in  a  place,  they  should  range  in,  as  perfectly 
as  possible,  with  the  level  of  the  lawn.  Any  particular  eleva- 
tion, dejoression,  or  roundness,  would  not  harmonise  with  the 
flatness  and  smoothness  so  desirable  in  the  grass.  If,  there- 
fore, they  are  just  half-an-inch  lower  than  the  grass  at  the 


Fig.  194. 

edges,  and  an  inch-and-a-half  higher  than  it  in  the  centre, 
(fig.  194,)  they  will  have  two  inches  of  roundness,  which  will 
be  quite  sufficient. 

For  serpentine  walks,  as  it  will  be  a  matter  of  taste  to  keep 
them  more  or  less  thoroughly  out  of  sight,  a  few  inches  below 
the  surface  of  the  lawn  or  beds  will  be  the  fittest  level  for 
them,  save  where  it  is  intended  that  they  should  command 
particular  views,  when  they  can  be  more  or  less  raised.    In  the 


Fig.  195. 

first  case,  (fig.  1 95,)  the  grass  can  slope  gently  down  to  a  narrow 
flat  edging  at  their  margins ;  while  in  the  other,  the  turf  may  rise 
as  gradually  to  join,  with  a  round  edge,  (fig.  196,)  a  broader  flat 


Fig.  196. 

edging  at  the  top.  Where  the  ground  and  the  walks  themselves 
are  well  drained,  and  the  surface  of  the  former  has  been  perfectly 
stirred,  there  will  be  no  danger  of  depressed  Avalks  becoming 


FORMATION   OF   WALKS. 


379 


damp.  And,  besides  their  being  more  effectually  concealed  from 
the  windows  or  lawn,  persons  moving  along  them  will  see  the 
plants  in  the  beds  or  borders  or  on  the  lawn  to  greater  advan- 
tage, they  will  be  a  trifle  more  private,  and  the  house  will 
appear  higher  and  bolder  as  viewed  from  them. 

But  curved  walks  will  always  require  to  have  a  greater  degree 
of  convexity,  (tig.  197,)  and  if  they  are  six  feet  wide,  they  should, 


Fig.  197. 

while  keeping  half-an-inch  below  the  verges  at  the  sides,  be 
raised  in  the  centre  two-and-a-half  inches  above  the  level  of 
those  verges,  thus  making  a  difference  of  three  inches  between 
the  centre  and  the  sides.  And  where  the  ground  is  very  damp 
and  low  around  walks  that  have  to  be  made  across  parks,  and 
their  being  rendered  conspicuous  is  not  a  matter  of  consequence, 
it  is  a  good  plan  to  let  the  edges  rise  abruptly  out  of  the  ground, 
to  the  height  of  about  nine  inches,   (fig.  198,)  as  dryness  will 


Fig.  198. 

thus  be  effectually  secured.  Cattle,  too,  are  much  less  likely 
to  trample  and  soil  a  raised  walk  of  this  description.  The  scale 
in  all  these  sections  is  four  feet  to  an  inch. 

Grass  paths  that  are  not  much  used,  and  are  intended  chiefly 
for  appearance  or  for  summer  enjoyment,  may,  in  some  situa- 
tions, or  as  connected  with  houses  in  the  style  which  prevailed 
during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  have  a  very  neat  and  lively 
effect.  They  should  ordinarily  be  straight,  and  will  seldom 
look  well  unless  they  are  so.  They  will,  of  course,  require  to 
have  borders  of  flowers  or  shrubs  on  each  side,  and  these  might 


380  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

be  filled  with  rows  of  one  kind  of  plant,  to  form  a  sort  of 
avenue,  or  they  can  be  planted  promiscuously.  When  required 
as  a  common  thoroughfare  at  all  times,  grass  walks  will  be 
inappropriate,  because  they  would  soon  wear  bare,  and  would 
be  wet,  and  probably  dirty,  during  a  large  portion  of  the  year. 

4.  The  period  at  which  ground-work  is  performed  in  laving 
out  a  garden,  is  not  the  least  among  the  practical  matters  that 
have  to  be  considered.  There  is  an  unhappy  propensity  to 
defer  this  till  the  very  moment  in  which  planting  and  turfing 
have  to  be  done ;  and  thus  due  preparation  cannot  be  made  for 
the  one,  while  the  other  settles  most  irregularly,  and  requires 
subsequent  altering  and  levelling. 

Summer  and  autumn  are  essentially  the  best  seasons  for  all 
kinds  of  new  ground-work.  The  earth  is  then  driest,  and  can 
be  most  easily  moved  about,  and  will  not  be  injured  by  trampling 
or  wheeling.  Ground  put  into  shape,  too,  during  the  summer, 
gets  time  to  settle  and  mellow  before  it  is  wanted  for  either 
planting  or  sodding ;  and  anything  that  is  afterwards  done  in 
the  way  of  finishing  will  stand  better,  and  demand  less 
alteration.  What  is  not  altogether  unimportant,  likewise, 
labour  can  then  be  carried  on  more  easily  and  more  abundantly. 
I  should  therefore  earnestly  press  those  about  to  form  gardens 
not  to  put  off  the  operation  till  winter  or  spring,  but  to  take 
advantage  of  the  late  summer  and  early  autumn  weather  to 
get,  at  any  rate,  the  principal  part  of  the  work  done,  and  the 
leading  outlines  of  everything  prepared.  Perhaps  the  early 
autumn  is  better  than  summer  for  the  purpose,  as  the  ground 
will  then  be  kept  partially  softened  by  rain,  and  turf  may  be 
moved,  if  required,  without  being  killed.  The  whole  of  the 
month  of  August,  and  the  first  fortnight  in  September,  will,  in 
the  main,  be  the  best  period. 

5.  In  the  preparation  of  ground  for  planting  and  for  grass, 
the  difference  in  their  requirements  will  have  distinctly  to  be 
kept  in  mind.  Plantations  can  hardly  have  too  much  good  soil. 
A  thorough  provision  of  suitable  and  mellow  earth  will  almost 
neutralise  the  disadvantages  of  climate  or  situation,  and  keep 


PREPARATION   OF    GROUND.  381 

plants  always  flourishing  and  healthy.  For  lawns,  on  the  other 
hand,  a  light,  shallower,  and  poorer  soil,  if  it  be  properly 
drained  and  worked  previously  to  sodding  or  sowing,  will  be 
preferable,  as  tending  to  keep  down  undue  luxuriance,  and 
promote  the  growth  of  the  finer  grasses,  and  check  the  develop- 
ment of  rank  weeds. 

Ground  that  is  in  any  degree  heavy,  or  that  has  been  newly 
drained,  ought  to  be  trenched  all  over,  whether  for  grass  or 
plants.  If  the  sub-soil  be  clay,  it  can  be  turned  up  loosely  in 
the  bottom  ;  but  if  of  a  lighter  material,  it  should  be  brought 
to  the  surface  for  plantations,  and  simply  turned  over  in  the 
bottom  of  the  trenches  for  grass.  It  will  always  be  undesirable 
to  bring  clay  to  the  surface  in  pleasure  gardens ;  though,  in 
kitchen  gardens,  where  it  can  be  freely  worked  and  mellowed 
for  several  years,  the  common  mode  of  inverting  the  positions 
of  the  surface  soil  and  the  sub-soil  may  be  adopted.  The 
reason  for  working  a  lighter  sub-soil  to  the  top  in  plantations, 
and  not  for  grass,  is  that  additions  of  better  earth  can  be  made 
to  the  former,  when  the  sub-soil  will  be  blended  with  this 
in  planting,  while  it  is  rather  intended  to  take  away  several 
inches  of  the  topsoil  from  the  grass  land  and  transfer  it  to  the 
plantations.  Two,  three,  or  four  inches  of  the  best  earth, 
according  to  its  natural  depth,  may  thus  be  abstracted  from  the 
parts  intended  for  lawn,  and  will  go  to  raise  and  enrich  the 
plantations  without  injuriously  affecting  the  grass.  From  nine 
to  twelve  inches  in  depth  of  the  commonest  soil  will  be  amply 
sufficient  for  growing  lawn  grasses  to  perfection. 

In  shaping  and  forming  a  piece  of  garden  ground,  where 
much  variation  from  the  original  surface  is  desired,  the  readiest 
method  is  to  commence  at  the  lower  part  of  the  land,  take  out 
a  trench  across  it  of  about  four  feet  in  breadth,  and  either 
lower  or  fill  up  the  ground  as  the  trenching  proceeds.  This 
will  be  a  far  more  simple  and  economical  plan  than  stripping 
off  all  the  soil  and  putting  it  aside,  and  then  working  the 
ground  into  shape,  and  restoring  the  soil  to  the  surface. 

All  the  soil  from  the  foundations  of  roads  or  walks  should 


382  PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

farther  be  applied  to  the  ground  intended  for  plantations. 
Even  where  the  walks  have  to  be  raised  rather  than  lowered, 
it  will  be  better  still  to  remove  the  soil  and  replace  it  with  rub- 
bish. The  earth  obtained  from  the  foundations  of  the  house 
or  other  buildings,  should  also  be  carefully  kept  apart  from  the 
sub-soil,  and  used  for  the  plantations.  And  it  will  be  a  prudent 
and  safe  rule  to  assume  that  no  amount  of  good  earth  that  is 
at  all  obtainable  from  any  of  the  sources  pointed  out,  will  be 
otherwise  than  beneficial  for  shrubs  and  trees,  or  for  fruit  trees 
and  general  crops  in  the  kitchen  garden. 

If  the  soil  of  a  garden  be  moderately  light,  and  a  good  mass 
of  it,  by  the  means  here  suggested,  be  procured  for  the  shrubs 
and  trees,  and  for  the  flower  beds ;  manures,  beyond  such 
things  as  lime,  soot,  wrood  ashes,  decayed  leaves  or  wood,  or 
any  similar  matters,  will  be  quite  improper  for  the  ornamental 
part.  Roses,  however,  demand  a  richer  soil,  and  are  much 
improved  by  the  aid  of  some  well-rotted  manure,  which  should 
not  be  grudgingly  administered. 

But  where  the  earth  is  stiff  and  clayey,  and  not  enough  of 
lighter  soil  is  within  reach  to  correct  its  retentiveness  and  inca- 
pacity for  growing  plants,  manures  will  then  not  only  be  benefi- 
cial but  necessary.  Common  stable  manure  can  be  largely 
applied  with  advantage  in  such  cases ;  while  lime,  bone  dust, 
coal  ashes,  or  the  manure  from  the  ash-pits  of  towns,  or  the 
sweepings  of  streets,  will  be  invaluable.  And  these  may  be 
used,  though  with  a  more  niggardly  hand,  for  the  parts  to  be 
formed  into  lawn,  as  well  as  for  the  plantations. 

When  the  opportunities  and  patience  of  the  proprietor  allow 
it,  a  garden  will  be  greatly  improved,  both  for  plants  and  grass, 
if  it  can  be  trenched  up  in  the  autumn,  a  year  before  it  is 
wanted  for  finishing,  and  left  unoccupied  for  the  season,  simply 
keeping  down  the  weeds.  Or  it  may  be  planted  with  potatoes, 
or  sown  with  turnips  or  mangold-wurzel,  or  otherwise  cropped 
and  kept  clean.  All  kinds  of  crudities  in  it  would  thus  be  de- 
stroyed, and  the  texture  be  immensely  ameliorated.  Considering 
that  there  will  be  such  a  slender  chance  of  its  being  broken  up 


PREPARATION  OF  SOILS.  383 

again  and  worked,  otherwise  than  very  partially  after  the  lawn  is 
made,  and  the  trees  and  shrubs  planted,  a  year's  preparation  of 
this  sort  is  only  a  matter  of  the  most  ordinary  policy,  and  should 
not,  on  any  but  the  most  imperative  accounts,  be  lost. 

There  is  one  tribe  of  which  the  Rhododendron  is  the  repre- 
sentative, composed  chiefly  of  such  as  are  denominated 
"American  plants,"  that  wants  a  little  peculiar  attention  as  to 
soil.  They  will,  it  is  true,  live  in  any  ordinary  garden  soil, 
especially  if  it  be  light.  But  they  attain  their  richest  state 
when  the  earth  in  which  they  are  grown  is  in  great  part  made 
up  of  fibrous  peat.  To  have  them  in  their  highest  perfection, 
then,  they  should  be  grown  principally  in  masses,  so  that 
proper  soil  can  be  supplied  to  them ;  and  should  be  furnished 
with  about  one  third  or  one  half  of  good  peat  or  leaf-mould, 
in  a  rather  shady  situation. 

Where  proper  peat  cannot  be  procured  for  Rhododendrons, 
leaf-mould  will  be  the  best  substitute  for  it.  And  if  even  this 
should  not  be  attainable,  turfy  loam,  taken  from  an  old  pasture, 
may  suffice ;  or  well-rotted  stable  manure  may  be  freely  used  in 
conjunction  with  common  soil.  Any  earth  that  is  naturally  of 
a  chalky  kind,  or  that  contains  much  lime,  will  be  particularly 
unfavourable  to  Rhododendrons. 

6.  One  of  the  greatest  practical  difficulties  with  which  the  ar- 
tist in  landscape  has  to  contend,  is  deeding  icith  the  picturesque. 
Smoothness  and  regularity  of  treatment  are  so  thoroughly  what 
an  ordinary  gardener  is  accustomed  to,  that  it  requires  no  small 
effort  to  enlighten  him  as  to  the  mode  of  achieving  anything 
really  beautiful  in  the  way  of  curved  lines  and  undulations. 
But  when  ruggedness  and  an  appearance  of  rude  naturalness 
are  sought,  it  is  indeed  hard  to  obtain  a  practical  operator.  In 
this  case,  soil  has  often  to  be  thrown  down  in  rough  heaps, 
without  smoothing,  or  levelling,  or  exhibiting  the  marks  of  any 
tool;  masses  of  soil  or  rock  have  to  be  wrenched  away  from  the 
face  of  a  bank;  stones  or  roots  have  to  be  thrown  down  as 
irregularly  and  wildly  as  possible ;  tufts  of  rugged  vegetation, 
or  scrambling  shrubs,   must  be  left,   where   these  exist;  all 


384  PK ACTIO AL  DIRECTIONS. 

roundness  or  curvatures  have  to  be  avoided ;  and  everything 
that  is  angular  and  broken  striven  after.  Rocks,  when  they  are 
inserted,  require  to  be  blended  with  the  ground  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood by  means  of  a  few  scattered  groups  or  single  stones; 
only  partially  filling  up  the  interstices  among  them  with  soil,  so 
as  to  preserve  a  rugged  surface,  and  not  providing  for  covering 
the  stones  too  much. 

7.  Planting  may  be  undertaken  with  reference  solely  to  the 
ultimate  effects  it  will  produce,  or  it  can  be  made  to  embrace 
a  more  immediate  and  present  result.  The  former  plan  is,  of 
course,  somewhat  the  easiest,  as  far  as  labour  is  concerned,  and 
is  the  least  expensive  when  the  plants  have  to  be  bought.  But 
a  garden  that  is  planted  only  with  the  smallest  nursery  things 
will  be  exceedingly  tame  and  uninteresting  for  several  years ; 
and  it  will  require  the  planter  to  have  a  very  good  knowledge 
of  each  individual  variety  of  object,  with  respect  to  its  natural 
or  usual  height  and  habit,  to  make  the  final  picture  at  all  a 
successful  one. 

In  many  neighbourhoods  where  large  areas  have  been  planted 
for  public  or  prospective  ends,  the  yearly  thinnings  from  such 
plantations  will  be  obtainable  on  comparatively  moderate  terms, 
and  these  will  be  very  useful  in  giving  an  appearance  of  age  and 
variety  to  a  garden.  As  the  private  gardens,  too,  are  generally  in 
need  of  thinning,  a  planter  may  sometimes  pick  up  a  number  of 
effective  specimens  among  his  friends,  or  in  the  way  of  exchange 
for  other  things.  And  when  these  resources  fail,  or  money  is 
not  so  much  considered,  most  good  nurserymen  now  grow 
plants  in  borders,  and  transplant  them  occasionally,  for  the 
express  purpose  of  supplying  larger  specimens,  that  are  well 
rooted,  and  can  be  safely  removed  with  balls  of  earth,  to 
diversify,  and  give  an  air  of  greater  finish  to  newly  formed 
gardens.  A  few  dozens  of  these,  which  can  be  had  at  the  rate 
of  from  one  to  five  shillings  each,  as  they  may  be  very  large  or 
rare,  or  the  contrary,  will  help  very  materially  to  soften  away 
the  displeasing  rawness  of  a  new  place,  and  give  it  a  much  more 
finished  look. 


PLANTING   FOR   PRESENT  EFFECT.  385 

Where  older  shrubs  or  trees  exist  in  parts  of  a  place  that  has 
to  be  reorganised,  these,  or  some  of  a  similar  character,  should 
be  scattered  through  the  newly  added  portions,  that  there  may 
not  be  an  obvious  want  of  connexion  between  them.  Nothing 
has  a  harsher  or  more  disagreeable  appearance  than  a  piece  of 
nc  iv  plantation  tacked  on  to  an  old  one,  or  fresh  masses  of 
young  plants  placed  by  the  side  of  older  groups,  without  any- 
thing to  unite  and  balance  them.  Even  fifteen  or  twenty  years' 
growth  will  scarcely  remedy  the  abruptness  of  the  transition  ; 
while  the  mixture  of  a  few  of  the  older  plants  with  the  younger, 
and  of  the  younger  with  the  older,  would  accomplish  it  almost 
at  once. 

Among  the  most  available  plants  for  mixing  in  small  masses 
of  plantation,  or  treating  as  single  specimens,  to  produce  an 
immediate  appearance,  and  break  the  outline,  are  the  various 
kinds  of  ornamental  Thorn,  Mespilus,  Pyrus,  double-flowering 
Cherry,  some  sorts  of  Primus,  Sorbus,  flowering  Ash,  weeping 
Ash  and  Elm,  and  other  deciduous  low  trees,  which  are  not 
very  expensive,  and  can  easily  be  moved.  Larger  evergreens 
are,  perhaps,  more  telling,  and  will  do  much  towards  con- 
cealing bad  objects ;  but  they  are  also  more  costly,  and  their 
success  is  rather  doubtful,  or,  at  any  rate,  they  recover  the 
change  more  slowly.  Any  description  of  forest  or  ornamental 
tree  will  bear  removal  admirably,  with  care  and  attention,  and 
will  not  be  permanently  worse  for  the  shift,  if  they  are  not 
more  than  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  high.  Beyond  these 
dimensions,  they  may  be  safely  replanted  by  an  experienced 
practitioner ;  but  it  will  not  be  desirable  to  subject  them  to 
the  process,  unless  for  some  very  important  object.  Where 
the  branches  have  to  be  much  cut  in,  they  are  rendered  so 
ugly  as  to  make  the  removal  not  worth  attempting. 

Notwithstanding  the  extreme  desirableness  of  attending  to 
the  present  appearance  of  plantations,  and  putting  in  a  few 
plants  at  intervals  to  make  an  immediate  show,  and  to  banish 
the  monotonous  dulness  unavoidable  where  only  the  youngest 
class  is  employed,  the  great  aim  of  the  planter  should  be  for 

17 


386  PEACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

future  effect ;  and  where  the  bulk  of  the  plants  are  healthy,  and 
likely  to  do  what  is  ultimately  expected  of  them,  their  tem- 
porary mean  or  meagre  aspect  may  be  entirely  disregarded. 
And  although  the  peculiar  developments  which  result  from 
accident  may  sometimes  yield  combinations  superior  to  any 
that  the  most  cultivated  art  could  produce, — such  is  the 
adaptive  and  plastic  power  of  Nature, — yet,  as  such  fortuitous 
groups  can  never  be  calculated  upon,  and  may  never  arise,  it  is 
right  to  act  as  if  all  depended  on  the  provisions  of  art,  and 
place  each  plant  where,  from  its  known  constitution,  it  is  most 
likely  to  yield  the  wished-for  effect,  whether  of  outline,  har- 
mony, or  contrast. 

8.  Having  got  the  ground  into  a  proper  condition  for  plant- 
ing, and  remembering  that  the  place  should  assume  as  good  an 
appearance  as  possible,  both  immediately  and  prospectively,  the 
next  consideration  will  be  as  to  the  time  and manner  of  effecting 
this  operation.  The  first  of  these  will  relate  to  the  season  and 
the  weather  alone.     The  other  is  much  more  comprehensive. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  plants  bearing  to  be  removed  at 
almost  any  season  of  the  year,  if  a  due  regard  be  paid  to  their 
nature  and  wants,  it  is  pretty  certain  that  the  fall  of  the  year, 
when  the  leaves  of  deciduous  plants  are  just  shed,  is  the  most 
appropriate  period  for  transplanting  them,  where  choice  is 
allowed ;  while  evergreens  will  probably  be  less  injured  by 
being  planted  about  a  month  earlier.  Into  the  reasons  for  this 
view  it  would  be  needless  here  to  enter,  as  both  theory  and 
experience  confirm  it.  But  planting  may  be  conducted 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  winter,  in  open  weather,  and 
until  the  buds  develop  themselves  pretty  vigorously,  or  the 
beginning  of  April.  For  deciduous  things,  however,  the  earlier 
they  can  be  got  in,  the  less  they  will  suffer  in  the  following  sum- 
mer ;  and  evergreens,  if  unplanted  at  the  time  of  the  occurrence 
of  the  first  sharp  winter  frosts,  should  be  kept  back  until  about 
the  earliest  showers  in  April,  otherwise  the  harsh  and  drying 
winds  of  March  will  severely  punish  and  endanger  them. 

Calm,  dull,  moist  weather  is  almost  of  more  consequence  in 


TIME  AND  MANNER  OF  PLANTING.  387 

planting  than  the  time  of  year.  If  the  sun  be  shining  brightly, 
or  there  is  any  wind  stirring,  or  the  ground  or  the  atmosphere 
be  very  dry,  no  kind  of  planting  should  be  proceeded  with. 
A  plant  out  of  the  ground,  and  its  roots  exposed  to  drying 
influences,  is  in  as  unnatural  and  perilous  a  position  as  a  fish 
that  is  out  of  water.  Both  may  survive ;  but  they  have  a  great 
struggle  to  get  over  it,  and  their  future  health  is  for  some  time 
enfeebled.  No  weather  is  better  for  planting  than  the  damp 
and  foggy  period  so  peculiar  to  November. 

Not  only,  however,  should  planting  be  done  on  a  cloudy  and 
moist  day,  but  it  must  be  done  rapidly,  so  as  to  keep  the  plants 
out  of  the  ground  as  short  a  time  as  possible ;  and  the  roots 
should  be  preserved  and  spread  out  with  the  utmost  care.  A 
plant  is  mainly  dependent  on  its  roots  for  existence  and  support ; 
and  if  these  are  much  mutilated  in  taking  it  from  the  ground, 
or  crushed  and  crippled  and  huddled  up  together  at  the  time  of 
its  re-insertion,  its  chances  of  life  and  vigour  will  be  propor- 
tionately weakened.  All  the  roots  have  their  correspondent 
share  of  branches  and  foliage  to  supply ;  and  when  the  former 
are  much  reduced  in  taking  them  up,  or  rendered  inoperative  by 
careless  planting,  the  balance  between  the  two  is  lost,  and  great 
sickliness  or  death  results.  The  root  fibres,  therefore,  should 
be  strictly  preserved,  as  far  as  possible,  and  laid  out  in  their 
natural  position  when  replanted,  covering  the  whole  with  light 
and  fine  soil,  and  only  treading  the  ground  above  them  very 
slightly,  when  the  earth  has  been  entirely  filled  in. 

In  transplanting  shrubs  or  trees  of  any  unusual  size,  par- 
ticularly evergreens,  or  even  in  moving  smaller  plants  of  the 
latter  from  one  part  of  a  place  to  another,  or  from  a  position 
which  admits  of  their  being  accompanied  with  balls  of  earth 
about  the  roots,  these  should  always  be  kept.  But  the  ends  of 
the  roots  must  not  be  cut  off"  close  to  the  ball,  and  should  be 
carefully  taken  out  with  a  fork,  and  the  outsides  of  the  ball 
be  left  loose,  and  guarded  against  every  kind  of  compression. 
Where  the  roots  become  bruised  or  injured,  they  must  be 
scrupulously  pruned,  and  the  jagged  ends  made  smooth.    The 


388  PEACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

soil,  too,  should  be  shaken  very  lightly  among  them,  and  pressed 
under  the  ball  by  means  of  a  blunt  stick,  that  no  cavities  may 
be  left  there.  If  the  weather  be  ordinarily  moist,  and  the 
period  be  November,  no  watering  of  any  kind  will  be  necessary. 
But  a  thorough  soaking  with  water  will  sometimes  be  useful  in 
spring  planting,  and  a  subsequent  mulching  of  grass-mowings, 
manure,  or  litter  will  generally  be  found  of  service  in  dry 
summers.  Puddling,  in  the  usual  sense  of  the  word,  is  a  most 
mistaken  practice,  and  ought  never  to  be  tolerated. 

It  is  always  safest  to  plant  pretty  thickly  /  for  where  the 
climate  or  the  prevailing  winds  are  not  so  severe  as  to  demand 
this  precaution,  the  better  kinds  of  plants  invariably  grow 
stronger  and  faster  for  having  a  little  shelter,  provided  this  do 
not  rob  them  of  light  and  air,  or  produce  deformity,  and  is  not 
continued  too  long.  All  the  best  plants,  and  the  larger  speci- 
mens, should,  however,  be  put  in  first  in  a  plantation ;  the 
intermediate  parts  being  made  up  of  commoner  things,  and 
such  as  can  easily  be  taken  or  cut  out  the  moment  they  begin 
to  do  harm. 

If  large  plants  be  used  to  break  the  outline  of  a  young 
plantation,  they  should  not  be  left  to  stand  alone  and  unsup- 
ported, but  be  at  least  partially  and  irregularly  surrounded 
with  middle-sized  plants,  of  different  heights,  to  relieve  their 
solitariness  and  the  abruptness  of  their  outline,  and  also,  in 
part,  to  shelter  them  a  little  from  the  action  of  winds,  and 
shade  their  roots  somewhat  from  the  drying  influences  of  sun 
and  air.  Single  specimens  of  tall  trees,  standing  amidst  a  tribe 
of  very  much  smaller  ones,  would  look  extremely  naked,  and 
not  blend  at  all  beautifully  or  softly  with  the  rest.  Nor  would 
the  hardness  of  their  appearance  be  mitigated  for  several  years. 

No  plant  will  ever  answer  the  expectations  of  the  cultivator 
if  its  roots  be  buried  too  deeply  at  the  time  of  planting,  or  after- 
wards. Such  a  practice  would  shut  them  out  from  air,  and 
speedily  tell  upon  the  health,  most  probably  killing  the  plant 
ultimately.  The  crown  of  the  root  ought  not  to  be  j^laced  more 
than  two  or  three  inches  below  the  surface  of  the  ground.   As 


TIME   AND   MANNER   OF   PLANTING.  3S9 

the  soil  settles,  and  the  roots  expand  upwards,  the  plant  will 
then,  at  length,  have  the  collar  or  crown  of  its  roots  just  level 
with  the  ground,  and  this  is  the  most  natural  and  healthy  con- 
dition. 

That  plants  in  masses  should  not  be  placed  in  any  kind  of 
rows,  but  be  dotted  about  as  irregularly  as  possible,  and  at 
various  distances  from  each  other  and  from  the  front  or  back 
of  the  plantation,  would  seem  quite  a  trite  remark,  were  it  not 
a  rule  that  is  seldom  observed  in  small  gardens.  Nothing  is 
more  common  than  to  see  the  plants  put  in  either  straight 
lines,  or  rows  following  the  outline  of  the  mass,  at  one  mea- 
sured distance  apart,  and  with  two  plants  of  the  same  kind 
occupying  precisely  the  same  position  in  the  bed,  on  opposite 
sides  of  the  garden  ;  thus  making  the  arrangement  of  a  group 
a  system  of  pairs,  rather  than  the  most  inartificial  and  broken 
thing  imaginable.  Even  in  some  great  public  and  national 
works  the  trees  are  planted  in  rows,  although  the  outlines  of 
the  plantations  in  which  they  occur  are  decidedly  irregular. 

All  this,  however,  unless  where  studied  lines  or  avenues  are 
contemplated,  is  far  too  artificial  for  English  gardening,  which 
is  essentially  free,  and  varied,  and  approximating  to  nature. 
And  since  no  such  things  as  lines  of  plants,  or  symmetrical 
correspondence  of  sorts  in  particular  parts,  or  anything  ap- 
proaching to  regularity  of  distance  between  the  plants,  is  to 
be  found  in  natural  groups,  neither  should  any  of  these  things 
exist  in  irregular  garden  masses.  It  is  observable  in  nature, 
indeed,  that  several  stems  sometimes  spring  out  from  nearly 
the  same  spot,  and  by  the  growth  of  the  branches  get  forced 
away  from  each  other  in  various  oblique  directions,  thus  making 
a  very  picturesque  and  pleasing  group.  Something  of  the  same 
kind  might  often  be  attempted  with  advantage  in  gardens  or 
large  plantations,  with  both  shrubs  and  trees,  and  would  get 
rid  of  the  monotony  of  a  succession  of  upright  and  shapely 
specimens,  standing  free  from  every  species  of  encumbrance. 
For  ordinary  plants,  a  distance  of  from  three  to  six  feet, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  plants,  will  be  most  proper.     Very 


390  PKACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

small  shrubs  may  even  be  placed  as  near  as  two  feet ;  but 
three  or  four  feet  will  more  generally  be  right. 
-  Fig.  199  may,  perhaps,  give  a  hint  or  two  regarding  the 
arrangement  thus  described,  the  scale  being  16  feet  to  an  inch ; 
the  dotted  line  in  the  front  showing  a  fragment  of  the  outline 
of  a  plantation,  the  crosses  (1)  representing  trees  of  various 


*/ 


# 


Fig.  199. 

heights  and  characters,  the  more  lightly  shaded  spots  (2) 
noting  where  deciduous  flowering  shrubs  may  be  used,  and 
the  darkly  shaded  spots,  such  as  3,  indicating  where  evergreen 
shrubs  might  be  placed.  After  all,  however,  this  illustration 
can  only  explain  my  intention  very  imperfectly,  and  much 
must  be  left  to  a  practised  eye,  assisted  by  a  correct  knowledge 
of  the  plants  to  be  used. 

9.  Although  so  much  of  the  success  of  plants  will  turn  upon 
the  manner  and  circumstances  in  which  they  are  planted ;  their 
selection,  and  the  mode  of  obtaining  them,  will  exert  not  a  little 
influence  on  the  subsequent  well-being  of  the  plantations.  It 
should  be  seen  that  they  are  fully  adapted  to  the  climate  and 
soil  in  which  they  are  to  be  placed,  by  having  come  from  a 
similar  or  an  inferior  one.  A  plant  may  grow  all  the  better  in 
a  favourable  climate  and  good  soil,  from  having  been  reared  in 
a  colder  or  more  exposed  place,  and  a  poorer  earth.  But  let 
the  reverse  of  this  take  place,  and  it  will  merely  linger  out  a 
languishing  existence  for  a  time,  never  forming  a  beautiful 


PROPER  SELECTION  OF  PLANTS.  391 

specimen ;  or  it  will  perish  entirely.  It  behoves  those  who  are 
intending  to  plant  in  a  bad  climate  or  indifferent  earth,  to  see, 
therefore,  that  their  plants  are  procured  from  a  similar  or  worse 
locality,  or  they  will  never  be  likely  to  nourish. 

Plants  that  are  grown  in  a  poor  and  shallow  soil,  and  a  some- 
what exposed  situation,  and  have  been  several  times  trans- 
planted, are,  consequently,  well  furnished  with  fibrous  roots, 
and  rather  stunted  than  luxuriant  in  their  growth.  If  they  are 
not  planted  too  thickly,  they  will  also  be  as  well  provided  with 
branches  as  with  roots.  And  these  are  the  very  best  descrip- 
tions of  plants  for  any  place,  hoAvever  sheltered  it  may  be,  or 
whatever  be  the  quality  of  the  soil.  They  will  be  sure  to 
thrive  anywhere ;  and  the  more  congenial  the  conditions  to 
which  they  are  transferred,  the  more  perfect  and  beautiful  will 
they  become.  These  should  be  the  leading  considerations  in 
the  choice  of  a  nursery  for  supplying  any  required  stock  of 
plants. 

Large  plants,  taken  from  nursery  rows,  never  become  properly 
furnished,  but  always  retain  their  spindly,  and  bare,  and  pinched- 
up  appearance.  Where  larger  things  are  wanted,  only  such  as 
have  been  grown  separately  in  borders,  or  as  specimens,  should 
be  used.  None  but  the  smaller  plants,  if  obtained  from  rows 
in  a  nursery,  will  be  at  all  satisfactory.  And  it  is  small  plants 
which,  if  well  attended  to,  constantly  produce  the  most  healthy 
and  perfect  specimens.  While,  therefore,  a  few  larger  things 
may  be  admitted  into  a  garden  for  variety,  the  staple  of  its 
furniture  should  be  made  up  of  lower  stuff.  Three  to  four  feet 
in  height  is  a  good  size  for  forest  and  ornamental  trees,  and 
about  two  feet  for  the  majority  of  shrubs.  The  Pine  and  Fir 
tribe  answer  better  when  planted  only  about  nine  inches  or  a 
foot  high,  if  they  be  afterwards  kept  free  from  weeds,  and  are 
not  allowed  to  be  smothered  by  other  plants,  and  the  garden 
is  well  secured  against  rabbits  and  hares. 

In  selecting  plants  for  furnishing  a  garden,  character  and 
ornament  should  invariably  be  the  prime  considerations.  Mere 
novelty  ought  to  have  little  or  no  weight.     Besides  the  objects 


392  PRACTICAL    DIRECTIONS. 

to  be  aimed  at  in  planting,  which  have  been  mentioned  in  pre- 
vious pages,  however,  it  may  be  well  to  take  into  account  the 
appearance  of  deciduous  trees  and  shrubs  in  winter,  with  respect 
to  their  general  form,  or  the  colour  of  their  shoots  and  buds ; 
and  also  with  reference  to  their  beauty  when  covered  with  snow 
and  rime.  Such  as  have  slender  or  drooping  branches  are  par- 
ticularly eligible  on  the  latter  account,  and  none  are  more  so 
than  the  weeping  Birch.  For  the  colour  of  their  shoots  and 
buds,  Birches,  Willows,  Alders,  the  red  and  yellow-twigged 
Limes,  the  golden  Ash,  Dogwood,  &c,  are  most  noticeable. 

To  relieve  the  excessive  bareness  of  young  plantations  in 
pleasure-grounds,  Dahlias  and  Hollyhocks,  if  copiously  intro- 
duced, have  been  found  singularly  useful.  The  leaves  of  new- 
planted  shrubs  seldom  develop  themselves  fully  for  the  first 
year  or  two ;  and  much  may  therefore  be  done  to  make  the 
clumps  look  fuller,  by  means  of  the  two  tribes  jjast  named, 
without  doing  any  injury  to  the  more  permanent  occupants  of 
the  ground. 

10.  Newly  planted  trees  and  large  shrubs  will  sometimes 
require  staking  or  supporting  ;  as,  if  they  can  play  about  in 
the  ground  by  the  action  of  winds,  the  roots  will  be  broken 
and  strained,  and  a  hole  for  the  collection  of  water  be  formed, 
which  will,  in  the  course  of  time,  rot  the  roots.  Evergreens 
are  particularly  liable  to  suffer  and  even  die  from  this  cause. 
They  present  a  greater  surface  to  the  action  of  the  winter  gales. 
And  all  plants  that  are  disproportionately  heavy  in  the  head 
are  most  likely  to  need  staking. 

But  any  kind  of  staking  is  sure  to  be  more  or  less  unsightly  ; 
and  whatever  means  can  be  devised  for  dispensing  with  it  will 
be  a  decided  boon.  Something  may  certainly  be  done  by  plant- 
ing things  of  a  rather  lower  growth  around  one  that  is  disposed 
to  move  about  by  winds.  These  will  soften  the  force  of  the 
attacks,  and  make  the  plant  more  proof  against  them.  For 
large  trees,  too,  that  are  planted  with  balls  of  earth,  and  have 
tolerably  strong  roots,  a  triangular  or  square  frame,  made  of 
bars  of  wood,  laid  across  the  ball  of  the  plant,  and  nailed  to 


STAKING   AND   SUPPORTING   TREES. 


393 


stout  posts  driven  firmly  into  the  ground  at  the  corners,  will 
be  safer  than  any  upright  stakes.  (See  figs.  200  and  201,  the 
latter  being  the  ground-plan.)     Strong  ropes  fastened  to  the 


w 


..■■■■     --  ■■ 

! 


.     .  -..•  -. 


cXJ 


d- 


Figs    200,  201. 

upper  part  of  the  stem  of  a  newly  planted  tree,  and  tied  in 
several  directions  to  other  trees  or  fixed  objects,  (fig.  203,) 
putting  some  hay  or  matting  round  the  tree  to  prevent  it  from 
being  cut  by  the  ropes,  may  occasionally  be  successful.  Plant- 
ing with  good  balls  of  soil,  or  a  little  more  deeply  than  usual, 


Figs.  302,   203. 

will  further  help  to  stay  large  specimens,  and  to  make  them 
able  to  dispense  with  extra  support. 

Where  neither  of  these  plans  is  applicable,  or  would  not  be 
effectual,  stakes  themselves  must  be  employed.     If  the  wind 

IV* 


394  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

blows  most  roughly  from  any  particular  quarter,  the  principal 
stake  should  be  placed  on  that  side,  that  the  plant  may  blow 
aAvay  from  the  stake,  and  not  upon  it.  Some  hay,  matting,  or 
other  soft  substance,  should  be  put  between  the  plant  and  the 
stake,  and  also  round  the  plant  where  the  cord  embraces  it. 
More  than  one  or  even  two  stakes  (fig.  202)  will  sometimes  be 
requisite  for  very  strong  or  very  heavy  plants.  But  if  the 
stakes  are  driven  down  very  deeply,  they  need  not  stand  more 
than  one,  two,  or  three  feet  above  the  ground,  which  will  render 
them  less  objectionable.  If  only  one  stake  be  employed,  it 
may,  by  chance,  be  able  to  do  its  work  if  placed  behind  the 
plant,  so  as  not  to  be  seen  from  the  walk ;  and  this  is  every- 
where desirable,  when  it  does  not  diminish  the  power  of  support. 
No  stake  should  ever  be  disproportionately  thick,  or  it  will 
appear  clumsy.  When  one  end  is  thicker  than  the  other,  t'he 
thick  end  must  be  inserted  in  the  ground.  And  it  ought  to  be 
remembered,  too,  that  the  higher  any  stake  stands  out  of  the 
ground,  the  greater  will  be  the  power  of  leverage  upon  it,  and 
the  deeper  it  should  descend  into  the  earth. 

In  applying  stakes  to  plants,  the  time  when  their  roots  are 
bare,  and  before  they  are  covered  in  with  soil,  should  be  chosen 
for  placing  the  stake  in  its  right  position,  that  it  may  not  injure 
any  of  the  roots.  If  driven  down  at  random  after  the  roots  are 
all  buried,  it  will  most  probably  damage  or  sever  some  of  the 
more  valuable  of  them.  The  nearer  it  can  be  placed  to  the 
stem  of  the  plant,  consistently  with  safety,  the  more  power  it 
will  possess,  and  the  less  distinctly  will  it  be  visible.  The  tree 
should  in  all  cases  be  fastened  as  firmly  as  possible  to  the  stake  ; 
always  providing  that  it  has  room  to  expand  itself  for  two  or 
three  years. 

11.  Where  good  turf  can  be  had  without  much  trouble  or 
expense,  it  will  be  more  immediately  beautiful  and  satisfying 
to  sod  a  laion  than  to  sow  it  down  with  fresh  seeds.  And  even 
if  it  be  too  serious  an  item  under  any  circumstances,  the  edgings 
of  walks,  and  the  outlines  of  beds  should  be  everywhere  defined 
by  a  strip  of  old  turf,  at  least  a  foot  in  width.    This  will  prevent 


SODDING  A  LAWN.  395 

the  seeds  from  being  scattered  on  the  walks  or  borders,  and 
make  the  edgings  firmer  and  less  ragged  for  several  years. 
Indeed,  it  is  impossible  to  make  a  sound  and  satisfactory  edg- 
ing, except  with  old  turf. 

Sods  should  always  be  chosen  from  an  old  pasture,  and  one 
where  sheep  have  been  accustomed  to  graze  will  be  best.  The 
autumn  months  offer  decidedly  the  fittest  season  for  laying 
them  down,  as  they  will  then  at  once  take  hold  of  the  ground, 
without  the  danger  of  their  separating,  and  curling  up  at  the 
edges,  during  the  succeeding  summer.  But  any  mild  weather 
throughout  the  winter,  or  a  showery  time  up  to  a  late  period 
in  the  spring,  may  be  selected  for  the  operation,  if  more  con- 
venient. The  soil  should  always  be  well  stirred  as  the  sods  are 
laid,  and  if  there  is  any  chance  of  their  suffering  from  drought, 
or  if  the  grass  is  not  sufficiently  fine,  a  little  light  soil,  mixed 
with  lime,  may  be  strewn  over  them  after  they  are  laid,  and 
swept  into  their  interstices  with  a  scrubby  broom.  A  few  of 
the  finer  grass  seeds  may  be  added,  if  it  be  in  spring.  Sods, 
too,  ought  always  to  be  laid  lengthwise  up  and  down  steep 
slopes,  or  at  right  angles  with  a  line  of  walk,  as  the  edgings 
will  then  remain  firmer,  and  may  be  cut  truer. 

1 2.  For  sowing  doion grass  seeds,  the  ground  should  be  lightly 
dug  over  about  the  last  week  in  March  or  August,  and  the  seeds 
sown  immediately  after.  It  will  be  advisable  to  scatter  them 
rather  thickly,  and  then  tread  and  rake  them  well  in,  and  give 
the  ground  a  thorough  rolling.  Care  must  be  exercised  to 
make  up  the  ground,  by  the  edgings  already  laid,  to  the  level 
of  the  top  of  those  edgings ;  in  order  that,  when  the  young 
grass  springs  up,  all  may  be  on  the  same  level,  and  there  may 
not  be  a  break  or  dip  between  the  old  and  the  new.  After  the 
grass  has  vegetated,  it  will  simply  require  to  be  kept  free  from 
weeds  until  it  is  strong  enough  to  be  mown.  A  dry  day,  in  a 
showery  season,  will  of  course  be  best  for  sowing  grass,  as  it  is 
for  all  other  seeds.  And  it  ought  not  to  be  forgotten  that,  on 
the  evenness  with  which  the  ground  is  dug,  levelled,  and  raked, 
will,  hereafter,  depend  the  beauty  and  smoothness  of  the  lawn. 


396  PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

Some  of  the  fittest  seeds  for  a  lawn  are  Poa  pratensis  and 
triviale,  Festuca  ovi?ia,  Cynosurus  cristatus,  Avenaflavescens, 
Trifolium  minus,  and  white  Dutch  clover.  Other  and  coarser 
kinds  are  usually  added;  and  many  good  nurserymen  have 
mixtures  of  their  own,  adapted  to  particular  soils.  But  the 
smaller  the  proportion  of  the  stronger  growing  kinds  that  is 
admitted,  the  finer,  and  smoother,  and  softer  will  be  the  grass, 
and  the  less  mowing  will  it  require.  Any  sort  of  rye-grass, 
some  variety  of  which  is  too  commonly  introduced  into  mix- 
tures, will  be  especially  unsuitable. 

13.  Fruit-trees,  trained  to  walls  in  kitchen-gardens,  demand  a 
rather  peculiar  preparation  for  the  borders.  If  these  last  are 
made  very  deep,  the  roots  of  the  trees  will  strike  downwards 
instead  of  spreading  abroad  near  the  surface,  and  by  that  means 
they  will  be  deprived  of  their  fertility,  acquire  an  extravagant 
luxuriance  of  growth,  and  become  cankery.  At  one  foot  nine 
inches  to  two  feet  below  the  surface,  such  borders  should  have 
a  thick  layer  of  broken  stones  or  rubbish,  or  a  foundation  of 
concrete,  to  stop  the  roots  from  descending  lower.  This  deposit 
should  also  slope  towards  the  front  of  the  border,  where  it  can 
be  connected  with  a  rubble  drain,  to  be  in  its  turn  associated 
with  the  general  drainage.  (See  fig.  204,  which  is  to  a  scale 
of  eight  feet  to  an  inch.)  The  entire  border  will  thus  be  abun- 
dantly drained,  and  the  effect  of  the  whole  process  will  be  the 
laying  of  the  border  dry  and  warm,  and  accessible  to  air. 

A  fruit-tree  border  should  likewise  be  raised  several  inches 
or  a  foot  at  the  back,  where  it  can  have  a  very  trifling  slope  to 
the  width  of  three  feet,  and  afterwards  fall  away  gradually  to 
the  front.  It  will  thus  catch  the  sun's  rays  still  more  perfectly, 
and  be  more  open  to  the  influences  of  the  atmosphere.  The 
roots  of  the  trees  will  in  this  way,  too,  be  encouraged  to  keep 
near  the  surface  of  the  border ;  and  the  disposition  may  be 
increased  and  perpetuated  by  having  a  layer  of  well-rotted 
manure  placed  on  the  border  every  winter. 

ISTo  particular  compost  is  needed  for  the  majority  of  fruit- 
trees.     Good  maiden  loam,  with  a  tolerably  large  admixture  of 


PREPARING  FRUIT-TREE  BORDERS. 


397 


well-decayed  manure,  will  be  suitable  for  every  kind  of  them ; 
and  grape-vines  may  have  a  slight  addition  of  lime  or  chalk. 


Fig.  204. 

The  main  thing,  however,  is  to  have  the  border  dry,  and  warm, 
and  comparatively  shallow. 

If  choice  Pear,  or  Apple,  or  Plum,  or  Cherry  trees  are  grown 
on  an  inner  border,  and  are  wished  to  be  rendered  very  produc- 
tive without  occupying  much  room,  it  will  be  worth  while  to 
treat  these  similarly,  and  raise  the  border,  and  have  little  more 
than  eighteen  inches  in  depth  of  good  soil,  with  a  thick  layer  of 
stone  or  other  similar  rubbish  at  the  bottom,  to  check  a  down- 
ward growth,  and  complete  the  drainage.  It  will  be  much 
easier  to  retain  trees  thus  treated  in  a  dwarf  and  compact  state, 
and  they  will  assuredly  bear  more  freely.  Considering  the 
inclination  of  such  trees  to  become  too  strong  and  rambling,  the 
practice  will  be  decidedly  remunerative,  in  the  way  of  both 
restraint  from  intruding  on  other  things,  and  productiveness. 

14.  Certain  situations  are  so  unfavourable  to  some  kinds  of 
vegetation,  that  they  are  only  capable  of  bringing  a  few  plants 
to  perfection.  And  as  it  is  generally  better  to  grow  a  few  things 
well  than  to  have  a  more  ample  collection  of  indifferently  culti- 
vated plants ;  the  knowledge  of  what  will  flourish  in  a  given 
district,  will  be  of  great  use  to  guide  the  planter  in  his  selection. 


398  PRACTICAL  DIRECTION'S. 

While  I  cannot  pretend,  then,  to  furnish  extended  lists,  which 
would  demand  a  familiar  local  acquaintance  with  the  entire 
country,  it  may  perhaps  be  suggestive,  at  least,  of  what  can  be 
done,  if  I  advert  to  a  few  common  kinds  of  climatic  peculiarities, 
and  mention  some  of  the  most  ornamental  plants  that  are  calcu- 
lated to  suit  them. 

Gardens  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  sea,  especially  along  the 
west  coast  from  north-west  to  south-west,  are  much  afflicted 
with  gales,  which  are  of  such  violence,  and  carry  such  a  quantity 
of  saline  matter  with  them,  that  the  leaves  and  young  shoots  of 
some  plants  are  frequently  destroyed.  Dense  planting,  on 
ground  that  has  been  perfectly  drained  and  prepared,  will 
be  some  slight  preservative  against  such  winds ;  and  it  will  be 
useful  to  gather  the  plants  together  in  masses,  to  a  greater 
extent  than  would  otherwise  be  required,  that  they  may  help  to 
sustain  and  shelter  one  another.  Single  plants,  or  thin  strips  of 
them,  are  always  most  scourged  and  cut  to  pieces  by  such  gales. 
Still,  there  are  some  plants  which  will  endure  a  prodigious 
amount  of  blowing  without  material  damage.  And  of  these  the 
Sycamore,  and  other  Maples,  the  Elms,  (especially  the  Wych 
Elm,  the  Cornish  Elm  being  rather  liable  to  be  broken,)  Birches, 
if  planted  young ;  Beech,  when  likewise  planted  in  a  small  state ; 
the  common  Alder,  the  mountain  Ash,  and  several  Services;  and 
the  Scotch  Fir,  Austrian  Pine,  Pinus  laricio,  montana,  and 
pinaster,  if  a  little  sheltered,  will  make  excellent  trees  for  the 
sea-side.  Poplars  and  Willows  will  be  valuable  for  temporary 
shelter,  as  they  will  grow  rapidly  and  tall,  and  thus  protect  the 
others  till  they  become  strong;  after  which  they  should,  by 
degrees,  be  almost  entirely  weeded  out. 

Among  dwarf  sea-side  plants,  the  Dogwoods,  the  Iiibes  san- 
guineum  and  aureum  and  grossidariwfoliurn,  the  deciduous  Vi- 
burnums, the  Symphorias,  the  Elders,  the  Tamarisk,  some  of  the 
Spirreas,  particularly  salicifolia,  the  common  Fly  Honey-suckle, 
and  the  Berberries  are  particularly  hardy  for  deciduous  shrubs ; 
while  all  the  Hollies  are  invaluable  as  evergreens,  and  the  com- 
mon Rhododendrons,  Heaths,  Brooms,  (when  planted  young,) 


PLANTS   FOR   SPECIAL   LOCALITIES.  899 

evergreen  Oaks  if  once  established,  evergreen  Berberries, 
double  and  single-flowered  Furze,  Phillyrea  latifoHa,  Araxv- 
caria  imbricata,  common  and  Irish  Yew,  and  Arbutus  and 
Laurustinus  if  very  slightly  sheltered,  will,  with  Privet,  which 
is  almost  evergreen,  be  useful  in  rendering  a  marine  villa  gar- 
den green  and  lively  during  winter.  Of  these,  the  Tamarisk, 
the  Elder,  and  the  common  Furze  will  flourish  on  the  very 
margin  of  the  sea,  and  in  the  poorest  sand-banks. 

For  hills  that  are  more  inland,  where  there  is  a  scanty  soil 
and  great  exposure,  with  steep  or  precipitous  faces  exhibiting 
little  beyond  the  bare  rock  in  parts,  Birches,  Pines,  Larches, 
the  common  Ash,  the  common  Oak,  mountain  Ash  and  Ser- 
vices, with  Heath,  Broom,  Gorse,  Rhododendrons  if  there  be 
a  little  shade,  common  Hollies,  Thorns,  Ivy  and  Clematis  for 
enriching  some  of  the  jutting  masses  of  rock,  Vacciniums, 
mountain  Snowberry,  Savin,  &c,  will  make  an  excellent 
clothing  of  either  a  dense  or  a  partial  kind.  Plants  should 
be  put  in  when  quite  small  in  such  elevated  tracts. 

Of  plants  that  will  thrive  in  marshy  places,  or  by  the  sides 
of  water  courses,  Willows  and  Alders  will  be  the  most  sig- 
nificant, and  the  latter  are  decidedly  ornamental.  The  decidu- 
ous Cypress,  in  sheltered  spots,  is  quite  as  suitable,  and  even 
more  elegant.  Where  there  is  a  small  raised  bank,  however, 
by  the  margin  of  a  stream,  Oaks,  Beeches,  Sycamores,  weep- 
ing Birches,  and  Thorns  will  form  good  accompaniments, 
though  almost  any  other  tree  will  grow  in  such  a  position. 

Within  the  smoky  precincts  of  large  toicns,  the  accumulation 
of  soot  on  the  leaves  of  plants  keeps  them  sickly,  and  actually, 
in  conjunction  with  other  influences,  destroys  many  of  them. 
Without  doubting  the  potency  of  town  gases  or  more  substan- 
tial deposits,  I  am  inclined  to  attribute  some  of  the  bad  health 
common  in  town  plants  to  the  miserable  earth  in  which  they 
are  often  grown,  and  believe  that  were  the  soil  renewed  and 
freshened  occasionally  by  additional  deposits,  the  ground  being 
duly  drained  and  prepared  in  the  first  instance,  many  of  our 
Square  gardens  in  towns  would  present  a  different  aspect. 


400  PRACTICAL   DIRECTIONS. 

Some  plants,  however,  unquestionably  manage  to  endure 
the  air  of  large  towns  better  than  others.  Elms,  Planes, 
purple  Beech,  Birches,  balsam  Poplar,  mountain  Ash  and 
hybrid  Service,  Laburnums,  Thorns,  purple  Lilacs,  Hollies, 
Aucuba  japonica,  Portugal  laurel,  Arbor-vitse,  Yuccas,  Ivy, 
Privet,  Cydonia  japonica,  the  Almond,  the  Mulberry,  and  the 
weeping  Cherry,  are  a  few  of  these.  Planes  may  be  particu- 
larly mentioned  as  enduring  the  very  worst  of  town  atmo- 
spheres in  the  heart  of  London,  and  growing  as  healthily  there 
as  if  they  were  in  the  open  country.  And  the  beauty  of  the 
Chrysanthemums,  as  cultivated  in  the  Temple  gardens,  Lon- 
don, must  have  impressed  every  one  who  has  seen  them,  in 
the  month  of  October,  with  a  strong  opinion  of  their  value  as 
town  plants.  To  enumerate  more  would  demand  an  amount 
of  space  which  the  design  of  the  book  will  not  justify  me  in 
affording.  Any  one  accustomed  to  walk  through  extensive 
towns  might  soon,  by  a  little  observation,  dilate  and  perfect 
the  list,  and  with  an  eye  also  to  their  own  locality.  The  prin- 
cipal aim  in  this  and  all  other  matters  has  chiefly  been  to  put 
amateurs  on  the  right  track,  and  not  to  exhaust  the  subject, 
which  is  too  ample  to  be  fully  discussed  in  so  short  an  essay. 

15.  It  may  be  well  just  to  indicate,  cursorily,  the  order  in 
which  the  different  operations  involved  in  laying  out  a  garden 
should  be  performed,  as  some  inconvenience  and  extra  work 
might  be  occasioned  by  having  any  of  them  done  much  out 
of  the  proper  routine. 

The  first  thing  to  be  set  about — whether  the  place  be  large 
or  small — is  to  make  a  definite  plan  of  what  is  to  be  done,  on  a 
sufficiently  enlarged  scale.  This  should  never  be  omitted ; 
since  the  proportions  of  the  various  parts  can  be  judged  of 
better  on  a  plane  surface,  such  as  that  of  paper,  and  greater 
consistency  and  harmony  can  be  attained.  It  will  be  advisable, 
also,  to  set  out  the  walks,  plantations,  beds,  &c,  from  this  plan, 
by  actual  measurement,  and  not  simply  by  the  eye,  to  secure 
precisely  the  same  easiness  of  lines,  and  adjustment  of  parts,  as 
in  the  plan ;  only  modifying  any  of  these  afterwards  in  such 


EOUTINE  FOR  EXECUTING  WORK.  401 

ways  as  an  examination  of  the  whole,  from  the  many  different 
points  of  view,  may  render  necessary. 

When  the  plan  is  made,  and  the  position  for  the  house  fixed 
upon,  the  soil  on  the  spot  which  the  house  will  cover,  and  for  at 
least  six  or  eight  yards  in  width  all  around  it,  should  be  stripped 
off,  and  partly  taken  away  for  the  plantations  or  kitchen-garden, 
partly  thrown  up  in  a  ridge  round  the  stripped  area;  to  be 
used,  after  the  house  is  completed,  in  covering  such  portion  of 
the  ground  as  may  ultimately  be  converted  into  garden.  Space 
for  the  builders  to  work  and  trample  upon  will  thus  be  left,  and 
there  will  also  be  room  for  depositing  the  clay  or  rubbish  from 
the  foundations.  Beyond  what  will  finally  be  wanted  round  the 
house  itself,  the  material  from  the  foundations  should,  however, 
be  at  once  taken  where  it  will  be  required,  which  will  save  the 
trouble  of  moving  it  twice. 

To  prevent  the  workmen  employed  in  building  the  house,  and 
those  engaged  in  carting  materials  to  it,  from  making  footpaths 
or  roads  over  all  parts  of  the  ground,  it  will  be  prudent,  as 
soon  as  the  foundations  for  the  house  are  excavated,  to  cut  out 
the  principal  approach,  drive  or  walk,  and  fill  it  with  rough 
stone  or  gravel,  fit  for  carting  and  walking  upon,  so  as  to  con- 
fine every  one  as  much  as  possible  to  the  use  of  this. 

Fences  of  all  kinds  will  next  engage  attention.  It  will  natu- 
rally be  concluded  that  one  of  the  first  things  to  do  is  to  make 
the  boundary  fences  perfect,  due  regard  being  had  to  the  chosen 
points  of  entrance.  The  inner  fences,  such  as  that  round  the 
pleasure-grounds,  may  afterwards  be  fixed.  And  where  kitchen- 
garden  or  other  walls  have  to  be  erected,  they  should  be  begun 
in  good  time,  that  the  builder's  workmen  may  be  got  out  of  the 
way  before  it  be  necessary  to  commence  on  the  ground-work. 
In  short,  no  trenching  or  levelling  should  be  attempted  in  any 
part  until  the  masons,  bricklayers,  or  other  artisans  have  fairly 
completed  their  duties  in  that  direction. 

Draining,  trenching,  and  general  ground-work,  such  as  form- 
ing pieces  of  wTater,  raising  mounds,  preparing  rockeries,  or 
any  similar  rough  operations,  to  throw  the  surface  of  the  place 


402  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS. 

into  its  leading  shapes  and  outlines,  may  then  be  proceeded 
with ;  always  leaving  space  enough  around  the  house  untouched, 
that  the  builders  may  not  interfere  with  what  is  done. 

While  the  ground  is  still  unpolished,  but  the  general  shape  of 
everything  correctly  marked  out,  the  planting  should  be  effected. 
It  always  disturbs  and  soils  the  grass  more  or  less  to  plant  after 
it  has  been  laid  down.  And  as  the  house  will,  no  doubt,  be 
almost  finished  by  this  time,  the  edgings  of  the  walks  can  then 
be  formed,  which  may  be  done  by  inverting  sods,  cut  about  nine 
inches  thick,  and  a  foot  in  length  and  breadth,  along  the 
margins ;  laying  them  so  as  to  allow  about  from  one  to  three 
inches  to  pare  off  at  the  top,  and  a  similar  piece  on  the  sides 
next  the  walk.  These  sods  will  be  found  to  make  excellent 
edgings,  in  point  of  firmness ;  and  after  they  are  laid,  the 
ground  can  be  levelled  to  them,  and  to  the  beds  and  planta- 
tions, ready  for  putting  on  the  turf,  or  for  sowing  with  grass 
seeds,  either  or  both  of  which  processes  may  follow,  if  it  happen 
to  be  the  right  season.  Of  course,  however,  it  is  assumed  that 
the  planting,  and  all  the  other  things  here  spoken  of,  will  be 
done  only  at  the  periods  of  the  year  already  recommended  as 
most  suitable. 

As  soon  as  the  grass  is  duly  laid  and  settled,  and  the  work- 
men have  left  the  house,  the  edgings  of  the  walks  can  then  be 
accurately  cut,  observing  to  pare  them  down  quite  square,  and 
take  out  the  soil  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  foimdation  of  the 
walk ;  otherwise  grass  and  weeds  will  be  continually  rising 
afterwards,  and  destroying  the  regularity  and  evenness  of  the 
lines.  The  edgings  towards  the  borders  or  beds  can  be  cut  at 
the  same  time,  or  earlier  if  desired.  The  gravel  may  then  be 
spread  on  the  walks,  and  the  whole  will  be  completed. 

But  it  is  quite  possible  that  workmen  may  be  detained  at  the 
house,  plastering  or  painting  the  exterior,  for  some  time  after 
the  principal  parts  of  the  garden  have  been  finished.  In  that 
case,  it  will  be  proper  to  defer  levelling  and  sodding  as  much  of 
the  space  adjoining  the  house  as  they  are  likely  to  trample  over, 
and  make  all  this  good  after  they  have  been  entirely  removed  ; 


ROUTINE  FOR  EXECUTING  WORK.  403 

or  much  of  the  sod  will  most  likely  be  trodden  out  of  place  or 
destroyed.  Especially  is  it  requisite  to  refrain  from  planting 
near  a  house  until  all  its  outer  portions  have  received  the  last 
touches ;  for  it  is  almost  certain  that  many  of  the  plants  would 
otherwise  be  injured  and  broken. 


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